SwimmingSportNew Zealand Representatives
Annika Bokor, 31 August 2026
Neo at the Junior Pan Pacific Championships – Vancouver, Canada
Neo Salomonsson was fortunate to travel to Vancouver, Canada, as part of the New Zealand team for the Junior Pan Pacific Championships.
The JPP is a major international competition for junior swimmers, bringing together teams from across the Pacific region and invited countries, including top swimming nations such as Australia, Japan and the USA.
Although his individual races were not quite at his usual level, he still made finals in his strongest events and gained invaluable experience competing at an international championship. With illness going around the team and swimmers having to withdraw from some events, Neo was asked to step up and fill in for the men’s freestyle relay (not his strongest stroke). He embraced the opportunity and produced the second-fastest freestyle split in the team, helping the relay finish 6th overall.
Neo was also dealing with a hand infection during the competition, which made racing particularly challenging, but he continued to give his absolute best and persevere through his events. His attitude and commitment did not go unnoticed: the coaches awarded him “Swimmer of the Session” on Day 3 for his hard work, persistence and willingness to step up for the team when others were unable to swim.
While the times weren't necessarily what he had hoped for, the experience was about much more than the results. Representing New Zealand, learning from an international competition, supporting his teammates and continuing to contribute despite not being 100% made it a valuable experience. His next international representation is in December, but before then, he has the South Island Championships just five days after returning to New Zealand.