area Swim of the Week: Samuel Yalimaiwai Breaks Fijian, Oceanian Championship 50 Breast Records

Swim of the Week is delivered to you by arena, a SwimSwam associate.

Disclaimer: Swim of the Week isn’t meant to be a conclusive choice of the very best total swim of the week, however quite one Featured Swim to be explored in deeper element. The Swim of the Week is a chance to take a better take a look at the context of one of many many quick swims this week, maybe a swim that slipped by way of the cracks as others grabbed the headlines, or a race we didn’t get to look at as intently within the flood of weekly meets.

Fijian breaststroker Samuel Yalimaiwai had a standout efficiency eventually week’s Oceanian Swimming Championships, setting a trio of private greatest instances and claiming a gold medal victory within the males’s 50 breaststroke whereas competing on residence soil in Suva.

The 23-year-old blasted his strategy to a time of 28.22 within the 50 breast prelims, reducing his personal Fijian National Record of 28.54, set on the 2025 World Championships final summer time in Singapore.

The swim additionally broke an 18-year-old Oceanian Championship Record, as Yalimaiwai took down New Zealand’s Glenn Snyders‘ mark of 28.31 set on the 2008 Championships in Christchurch.

Despite setting a pair of data, Yalimaiwai was nonetheless on the lookout for extra, hoping to interrupt the 28-second barrier within the ultimate.

“I was trying to get a 27 in the heats, didn’t get it, I was close, but I’m glad that I got the record, so I can’t complain,” Yalimaiwai told local outlet FBC News after the prelims.

“It feels amazing. I’ve been aiming for this all year because this is my main event, and I’m glad I got the record in the heats.”

Although he didn’t fairly re-lower his new greatest time within the ultimate, clocking 28.26, Yalimaiwai nonetheless earned the Oceanian title and can possible be a fixture on Fiji’s group on the Commonwealth Games later this summer time.

“I’m not really sure yet because selection is based on this competition, so I’m just focusing on this meet, doing my best and hopefully getting selected,” Yalimaiwai instructed FBC News relating to the Commonwealth Games.

Yalimaiwai additionally set a private greatest time of 1:04.29 within the 100 breast, putting 4th, whereas he led off the Fijian males’s 4×100 free relay in a lifetime better of 56.97 within the 100 free.

These performances got here after he received the Fijian nationwide title within the 50 breast in early April, having produced a pair of 28.9 swims there.

At final summer time’s World Championships, Yalimaiwai positioned 52nd within the 50 breast and 62nd within the 100 breast (1:06.37) as certainly one of solely 4 swimmers on the Fijian roster. He additionally represented Fiji on the 2018 Junior Pan Pacs in Suva.

See arena North America here.

Follow area USA on Instagram here.

About area

area has revolutionized the world of aquatic sport by way of insightful collaboration with world class athletes and the event of leading edge aggressive swimwear since 1973. Today, this spirit of collaboration and innovation lives on by way of a steady evolution of superior supplies and Italian design that improves the efficiency, type and expression of all those that selected area. From main the lanes to dwelling in type, area is devoted to offering all swimmers with the instruments they should categorical themselves, really feel assured, win and obtain extra. Because in area, you’ll be able to.