Next Gen makes waves in Fiji with 14 gold at Oceania Champs

AUSTRALIAN swimmers topped the medal tally at the recently completed 2026 Oceania Championships in Fiji claiming 14 gold on the way to a total medal count of 36 medals.

The 10-member squad struck gold early on the first day of competition when North Coast’s Eleanor Flowers claimed the women’s 10km open water event.

Flowers backed up her open water success in the Damodor City Aquatic Centre pool, winning the women’s 1500m freestyle and gold in the women’s 4x200m free relay alongside teammates Keahne Bergin, Annaliesse Matthews and Coco McGrath.

Teammate Lachlan Evans also impressed, securing silver in the men’s 10km open water event before claiming fold in the men’s 1500m freestyle to continue Australia’s dominance in the distance events.

Evans (St Peters Western) and Flowers will both represent Australia at the 2026 Junior Open Water World Championships in Argentina later this year.

This year’s Oceania Championships featured athletes from 15 nations, including New Zealand, and provided crucial international racing experience for Australian age athletes on the path towards Brisbane 2032.

A standout of the meet was Newcastle’s Eva Potts who led the medal count in the pool with three individual golds (50m backstroke, 100m backstroke and 100m butterfly).

Potts, who trains at NUSwim Club, also claimed silver in the women’s 50m butterfly and contributed to five medal-winning Australian relay teams, including gold in the women’s 4x100m medley relay.

Rising backstroke sensation Isaac Allan from Immanuel in South Australia turned heads with his strong performances in the men’s 100m and 200m backstroke. He added a silver in the 50m backstroke sprint to his two golds.

The Fiji 2026 Oceania Championships wrapped up on Wednesday 13 May with the 5km open water event in which Flowers doubled down to add another gold to her haul while Evans won silver in the men’s 5km.

SWIMMING AUSTRALIA’S MEDAL TALLY

GOLD (14)

• Men’s 100m Backstroke – Isaac Allan
• Men’s 200m Backstroke – Isaac Allan
• Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Keahne Bergin
• Women’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Bergin, Flowers, Matthews, McGrath)
• Men’s 1500m Freestyle – Lachlan Evans
• Women’s 1500m Freestyle – Eleanor Flowers
• Women’s 200m Butterfly – Annaliese Matthews
• Women’s 100m Butterfly – Eva Potts
• Women’s 100m Backstroke – Eva Potts
• Women’s 50m Backstroke – Eva Potts
• Women’s 10km – Eleanor Flowers
• Women’s 5km – Eleanor Flowers
• Women’s 4x100m Medley Relay (Potts, Bergin, Matthews, Kobus)
• Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay (Allan, Algate, Evans, Stotz)

SILVER (17)

• Women’s 100m Breaststroke – Coco McGrath
• Women’s 50m Breaststroke – Coco McGrath
• Women’s 50m Butterfly – Eva Potts
• Men’s 100m Freestyle – Koa Stotz
• Men’s 50m Backstroke – Isaac Allan
• Men’s 10km – Lachlan Evans
• Men’s 5km – Lachlan Evans
• Men’s 200m IM – Jacob Algate
• Women’s 200m IM – Coco McGrath
• Men’s 50m Freestyle – Koa Stotz
• Men’s 200m Breaststroke – Jacob Algate
• Mixed 4x50m freestyle relay (Algate, Kobus, Potts, Stotz)
• Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay (Algate, Allan, Evans, Stotz)
• Mixed 4x50m Medley Relay (Allan, Bergin, Potts, Stotz)
• Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay (Allan, Algate, Evans, Stotz)
• Women’s 4x100m Free Relay (Kobus, Matthews, McGrath, Potts)
• Mixed 4x100m Freestyle Relay (Stotz, Kobus, Potts, Allan)

BRONZE (5)

• Men’s 100m Breaststroke – Jacob Algate
• Women’s 50m Breaststroke – Keahne Bergin
• Women’s 100m Freestyle – Annika Kobus
• Women’s 50m Freestyle – Annika Kobus
• Women’s 200m Breaststroke – Coco McGrath