VANCOUVER—For swimmers like Marlee Winser and Simon Fonseca Florez, the 2026 Junior Pan Pacific Championships is another important step on their competitive journey.

Winser (KISU) and Fonseca Florez (HPC Ontario) both see the four-day event, beginning August 17 at the University of British Columbia Aquatic Centre, as a way to test their talent and learn what they need to improve. 

“I think it’s a really amazing opportunity to race some of the top juniors in the world,” said the 17-year-old Winser of Penticton, B.C, who is coached by Tina Hoeben.

“Improving times, improving how I feel in the pool, just having a good attitude.”

Fonseca Florez is looking to make a splash in his second appearance at a Junior Pacific Championships.

“I definitely have more experience,” said the 18-year-old from Montreal who previously trained at CAMO and is now coached by Ryan Mallette and Rob Novak. “This is my last junior meet, so definitely it’s special to me. I’m really excited for it.”

Both freestyle swimmers have their sights set at competing at the 2028 Olympic Summer Games in Los Angeles. 

“I look forward to making the Olympic team one day,” said Fonseca Florez. “Hopefully in 2028, if not, 2032.”

The Junior Pan Pacs have attracted nearly 300 swimmers, born between 2008 and 2013, from 19 countries. It will be the 11th edition of the competition and the first time it has been held in Canada.

Among the nations attending are the United States, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Argentia and Brazil.

For many athletes on Canada’s 40-member team, it will be their first taste of international competition.

“For the most part they’re rookies, but they are strong and they have come together way faster than we expected,” said men’s head coach Don Burton.

“I think a few people from this team will be on the (Olympic) team two years from now and then a bigger percentage of them would be on the team four years from now.”

Tina Hoeben, who is leading women’s head coaching responsibilities, believes swimmers will benefit from the training and experience of competing at the meet.

“The team has got a lot of depth, and I think that some of those younger swimmers, and even the older swimmers, getting this international experience under their belt will prove very valuable in the years to come,” she said.

The coaches assembled for the meet also benefit from working together.

“I really appreciate the exchange that happens between the coaches and seeing their ideas being acted out,” said Hoeben, head coach of the KISU Swim Club in Penticton. “Some of the conversations are very inspiring to be more creative and think outside of the box.”

Team Leader Ken McKinnon said the Junior Pan Pacs have evolved from a training meet, originally held in January, to a high-calibre competition hosted in the summer.

“This is a friendlier get together but it’s a lights-out competition,” said McKinnon, Swimming Canada’s National Development Coach. “It’s definitely one of the fastest junior meets in the world.”

The list of Canadian swimmers who won Junior Pan Pac medals then progressed onto Olympic or World Championship teams include Margaret Mac Neil, Ella Cosgrove, Oliver Dawson and Cole Pratt.

Canada won a best-ever 16 medals (two gold, six silver and eight bronze) at the 2024 Junior Pan Pacs in Canberra, Australia.

McKinnon said while reaching the podium is always a goal, one of the major yardsticks for success at the meet will be swimmers learning what it takes to race against an international field and improving their times.

“We expect really strong personal improvement,” he said. “That’s the focus of the team completely and wholly.

“The goal is improving. Improve your rank, improve your time, get some experience, move forward in your career.”

WHERE TO WATCH:

CBC Gem will supply daily coverage of the 2026 Junior Pan Pacific Championships from August 17-20. Preliminary sessions will be available starting at 9 a.m. PDT with final sessions at 5 p.m. PDT. 

Full coverage can also be found across Swimming Canada and CBC Sports digital platforms.

Live results are available at  https://results.swimming.ca/jpp2026/.

ABOUT JUNIOR PAN PACIFIC CHAMPIONSHIPS:

The event, held every two years, brings together the best junior swimmers from Charter nations Australia, USA, Canada and Japan. Invitations are also extended to other non-European nations, with regular participants including Singapore and New Zealand.  The inaugural edition was held in Maui, Hawaii in 2005. Subsequent championships have been held in Gaum and Fiji.