Sport
27 February, 2026
Diving in for swim champs
ABOUT 300 swimmers from about 25 clubs will converge on Tobruk Memorial Pool on 28 February and 1 March for the 2026 FNQ Long Course Championships.
The FNQ Regional Championships are the biggest regional event of the year for FNQ swimmers, with competitors travelling from across the greater region, including Mackay North.
For many athletes, the meet is the last chance to achieve national qualifying times for the National Age and Open Championships, which will be held from 11-18 April 2026 at the Gold Coast Aquatic Centre.
Racing begins at 8.30am on both days, with gates open from 7.30am. The program spans four sessions and includes individual medley, freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly and backstroke events across multiple age groups, along with mixed and open relays.
A FNQ clubs war cry competition will be held after the completion of session 1 on Saturday, adding to the team atmosphere.
Points will determine individual age champions and overall club results, with points allocated from first through to sixth place. Presentation of age champion, multi-class winners and overall club shields will take place about 30 minutes after the conclusion of the meet.
On the weekend, Central Cairns Swimming will have four Para swimmers competing: David Eade (S9), Nathan Andronicus (S14), Sophie Crumpton (S6) and George Weston (S9).
FNQ Regional Swimming Association president Jason Salecich said the championships were about more than medals.
“The event is about teamwork and everyone being their best,” he said.
“We love the fact that there are small clubs like Cooktown ,who will make the long trek to Cairns, and many of their swimmers will be competing in a large event for the first time. All clubs are encouraged and supported as they work very hard to support the great sport of swimming in FNQ,” he said.
Mr Salecich said the region’s long-term ambitions were also clear.
“We have great pools, some amazing coaches and continued growth in our sport,” he said.
“I would love to see a Cairns swimmer represent our country in the near future and especially for Brisbane 2032.
“It takes a village of people to make this happen and a commitment from, not just the swimmers, but parents, coaches and teammates that can make this dream a reality. Watch this space.”
Age champions will be crowned across age groups from eight years through to 17 and over, along with multi-class Swimmers with a Disability (SWD) champions.
Complete swimmer medals will be awarded to swimmers aged eight, nine and 10 who complete all four 50m events and to 11-year-olds who complete all four 100m events.
