Aussie team selected for Oceania on Gold Coast

A promising group of 16 swimmers have been selected to represent Australia at the 2024 Oceania Championships to be held at the Gold Coast Aquatics Centre from April 21-24.

Selected after the recent Australian Age Championships on the Gold Coast, the team is headed by Manly’s Lillie McPherson who dominated the 15 years age bracket to win 4 gold: 50-100-200m freestyle and the 100m butterfly.

The championships are a perfect opportunity for swimmers to experience international competition, as the regional championships for World Aquatics.

The likes of budding breaststroke teen queen Olympia Pope, 15,  will also compete – Pope has been one of the stars of her age group in recent years and her selection is just reward for her consistency.

With 15 countries under the Oceania regional umbrella, it allows a great opportunity for swimmers to get a taste of finals swims and medals against an international field.

Oceania has historically been held every two years, coinciding with the Olympic and Commonwealth Games years.

However, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the last Oceania Champs were held in 2018 in Papua New Guinea.

The team will be led by Team Head Coach Tracey Menzies-Stegbauer with Gary Barclay as the Team Lead. Nick Veliades (Nunawading, Vic) and Jayden Brian (MLC Aquatic, Vic) have been selected as Team Coaches.

In all more than 100 athletes will contest the Oceania Championships with Australia fielding the biggest team followed by Fiji and then New Zealand.

Congratulations to the following swimmers who have been selected: