A Cook Islands swimmer made history by setting a personal best in the 100-metre backstroke at the World Swimming Championships in Budapest.

The Cook Islands national swimming team are in Budapest, Hungary, for the World Swimming Championships that welcomes the best ‘short course’ swimmers from across the world.

Budapest is hosting the 17^th edition of the event at the Duna Aréna from December 10-15.

Cook Islands Aquatics Federation swimming coach Horst Miehe and swimmers Lanihei Connolly, Jacob Story, and Mia Laban arrived in Budapest last week.

Laben achieved a personal best on opening day.

According to The Reporters Academy, Laban’s outstanding performance at the World Aquatic Swimming Championships marked a historic moment for the Cook Islands, as it was their first race at this prestigious event.

Swimming in the 100m backstroke, Laban secured an impressive time of 1:04.96 minutes while competing in the outside lane, an achievement she modestly described as a small personal best.

Her performance is not only a testament to her hard work and dedication but also an incredible start for the Pacific islands in this global event.

This race follows her participation in the World Aquatics event in Doha earlier this year, making her debut in Budapest particularly significant.

Laban expressed excitement about moving from the first heat in Doha to the third heat here in Budapest, enjoying the experience of swimming among formidable competitors.

As she prepared to enter the pool, she noted the impressive size of this arena and the chilliness of the air but recalled her coach’s encouraging words to “keep her head back”.

These affirmations likely provided her with the mental strength needed to excel. The crowd offered much encouragement to all the swimmers and Laban noted “This crowd was way bigger than home, it was really cool”.

Off the blocks Laban has a 0.66 reaction time and then throughout the race, she demonstrated consistent pacing, recording split times of 15.20, 16.06, 16.79, and 16.91 – indicative of her focus and endurance.

As one of the first Pacific Islanders to compete at this event, she shared valuable advice with her fellow athletes: “Breathe. Don’t stress.” Laban reassured them that “while the pool might seem scary, it is actually really nice.”

Looking ahead, Laban is set to compete again in the 100m freestyle today. This experience highlights the growing presence of Pacific Island athletes in competitive swimming, inspiring future generations in the sport.

• The Reporters’ Academy/Melina Etches