Sport Preview: Swimming
Swimming action begins at Aquatic Centre Faleata on Tuesday morning in one of the most popular sports at the Samoa 2019 XVI Pacific Games.
Swimmers from 15 nations will race across five days of competition with finals and medals awarded each evening. The event also acts as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, ensuring high stakes in the pool at Samoa 2019.
New Caledonia is again expected to dominate. Last time at the Port Moresby 2015 XV Pacific Games they collected more than a third of the available medals, including 21 golds.
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New Caledonia won more than a third of the available medals at Port Moresby 2015 (Credit: Pacific Games News Service)
In the women’s individual events, New Caledonian swimmers Emma Terebo, Lara Grangeon and Adeline Williams won every available gold medal, apart from a sole gold to Fiji’s Cheyenne Rova. Terebo and Williams are competing at Samoa 2019, although Grangeon is not.
Tahiti, Papua New Guinea and Fiji were the other standout nations last time, each winning more than 20 medals, although PNG’s star swimmer Ryan Pini has now retired, which is likely to impact their chances at Samoa 2019.
Swimming runs from Tuesday to Saturday at Aquatic Centre Faleata. Entry is $5 at the gate and the event will be broadcast and live streamed.
