Nineteen swimmers from eleven Pacific Island federations are taking to the Paris 2024 pool this week, as Oceanian swimming enjoys a resurgence accelerated by the recent return of the Oceania Championships.
Three months ago the best swimmers from across Oceania descended on Australia’s Gold Coast for the return of the Oceania Championships. The continent-wide meet had been on hold since the pandemic, and subsequently opportunities for athletes from remote Pacific Island nations to experience elite level competition had all but dried up.
However over three days of racing at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre under the watchful eye of World Aquatics President Husain Al-Musallam, the next generation of stars from the newly renamed Oceania Aquatics achieved personal-bests, broke national records, and for some, recorded times that would start their Olympic journeys. Nineteen swimmers from Pacific Island nations earned spots for Paris 2024, and these athletes have been lighting up the pool in the French capital (and the opening ceremony with their impressive traditional dress).
One of those swimmers, Lanihei Connolly, made a little piece of history this morning, achieving the highest placed finish at an Olympic Games by a female swimmer from the Cook Islands. Speaking to World Aquatics after her heat swim Connolly said the atmosphere was incredible as she walked out to race at her first Olympic Games.
“We were on just after Leon (Marchand) and the noise was incredible,” Connolly told World Aquatics.
“It was cool to see how much the French love their swimmers, and they are great fans as well, they were cheering for everyone. I just really wanted to make the most of it and take it all in.”
“The crowd was awesome. I've never swum in front of that many people. It was so good and I was so proud to walk out and represent the Cook Islands.”
Connolly, whose family hails from the Cook Islands’ capital of Rarotonga, which is home to less than 15,000 people, is now training in Australia at Bond University on the Gold Coast as part of the World Aquatics Development Program.
The move abroad is already reaping dividends for the 18 year-old who made her World Aquatics Championships debut in Doha earlier this year after just two months of training in the program.
“There's a different feel having swimmers from all different nations and to be able to train in such a high-end program,” said Connolly.
“It's so good. I'm studying there as well and the support from the university is great, especially with coming here and taking time off.”
Connolly was also named at the Cook Islands’ flagbearer for Paris 2024, however being the nation’s only female athlete, Connolly says she was ‘sort of’ expecting a ‘tap on the shoulder’.
“I kind of figured it out because there were only two athletes, one guy, one girl, so I was like, If I'm doing the math, I'm going to be flag bearer,” said Connolly.
“But it was still such an honour and the Cook Islands always put so much effort into the outfits. I felt really, really privileged to wear it and I could see the family group chat going off and sending videos of the parade!”
Connolly is one of nineteen Oceania Aquatics athletes from Pacific Island nations competing in Paris (excluding Australia & New Zealand athletes). Joining Connolly in Paris are: Micah Masei (American Samoa), Tasi Limtiaco & Kestra Kihleng (Federated States of Micronesia), David Young & Anahira McCutcheon (Fiji), Phillip Kinono & Kayla Hepler (Marshall Islands), Jion Hosei & Yuri Hosei (Palau), Josh Tarere & Georgia-Leigh Vele (Papua New Guinea), Johann Stickland & Kaiya Brown (Samoa), Isabella Millar (Solomon Islands), Alan Koti Lopeti Uhi & Noelani Malia Day (Tonga), and Johnathan Silas & Loane Russet (Vanuatu).