2018 OCEANIA SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS
- June 25-29, 2018
- Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
- Meet Website
- Psych Sheets
- Results
- Day 3 Finals Results
The third day of the 2018 Oceania Swimming Championships in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea is in the books, and several of the winners from days 1 and 2 found themselves back on top of the podium.
Highlighting the action was 15-year-old Australian Joshua Edwards-Smith, who broke his own Australian Age Record to win the men’s 200 back. Edwards-Smith clocked in at 2:01.95, dipping below his previous record for 15-year-olds of 2:02.04, set in April. 18-year-old Kiwi Andrew Jeffcoat finished as the runner-up to Edwards-Smith in 2:04.19, just as he did in the 100 back.
Others who had already won an individual title coming into the day and added to it were Hawaiian Grace Monahan and New Zealander Bronagh Ryan.
The 14-year-old Monahan had wins in the 50 fly and 400 IM on days 1 and 2, and added a third on Thursday in the 100 fly. She went 1:01.84, getting under her previous best of 1:02.22 set less than two weeks ago at the Hawaiian Senior Championships. 15-year-old Aussie Emily White (1:03.48) took 2nd.
Ryan, who is 25, won the 100 breast on day 2, and followed it up with the 50 breast title on day 3 in 32.88. 200 breast champ Lauren Gastevich of Australia was 2nd in 33.40.
OTHER WINNERS
- 19-year-old Epeli Rabua of Fiji won the men’s 50 breast in 29.34, prevailing in an insanely close final. Runner-up Jonathan Rutter of New Zealand was just .01 back for silver in 29.35, and another Fijan, Taichi Vakasama, was another hundredth back for 3rd (29.36).
- The women’s 400 freestyle was a 1-2 for Australia, with 15-year-old Sharni Robinson (4:14.84) claiming the title and 5k open water gold medalist Phoebe Hines (4:19.50) taking 2nd.
- Wesley Roberts of the Cook Islands won the men’s 400 in 3:56.01, less than a second off his national record, while open water and 1500 winner Ethan Owens (3:57.41) of Australia was the runner-up.
- 17-year-old Australian Oliver Nash (54.68) managed to hold off Kiwi Wilrich Coetzee (54.85) for the victory in the men’s 100 fly.
- 16-year-old Gina McCarthy led a 1-2 finish for New Zealand in the women’s 200 back, clocking 2:17.74 with teammate Caitlin Deans (2:21.31) 2nd and Monahan 3rd (2:21.85).
- The Australian women topped New Zealand by over four seconds in the 400 free relay, as Rebecca Jacobson (who won both the 100 and 200 free on days 1 and 2) led off in 56.51 and they eased to victory in 3:50.55.
- The New Zealand men got the better of Australia in their race, however, with Carter Swift getting them off to a lead they would never relinquish (leading off in 50.74). They came in at 3:25.38, with the other three swimmers splitting 51-point, while the Aussies were 3:28.05 for silver.
