Day Two of the 2026 NSW Surf Life Saving Championships, proudly presented by Your local club, saw junior athletes from across the state continue to impress at the idyllic Blacksmiths Beach in Swansea.
With the carnival now in full swing, the youngest competitors on the bill – our U9s and U10s – have finished their program and the beach will open up for the U11s through to U14s to contest their individual events.
They finished with a bang, though – South Maroubra SLSC’s Kycen Puroku had a dive Ian Thorpe would’ve been proud of on his way to the U10 Male Flags gold medal. It came after earlier in the day, Jack Vukovic from North Curl Curl SLSC was quickest across the sand in the U10 Male Sprint.
Shizella Thorne, Georgia Maurici, Hazel Lewis, and Edie Doney of Cronulla SLSC were swift and crisp with the baton as they claimed the U10 Female Beach Relay, while Shizella claimed two more golds in the U10 Female Sprint and Flags.
In the water, Nash Stewart from Lennox Head Alstonville SLSC was the top of an all-Far North Coast podium in the U9 Male Swim, with Yamba SLSC duo Austin Dunn and Barry Clark rounding out the top three.
Nash’s clubmate, Tully Smith joined him in a Lennox one-two for the U9 Board, while another Nash – this time Castel – joined them for another gold in the U9 Board Relay.
Zara O’Brien from Yamba proved the strongest swimmer in the U9 Female race, while Manly LSC’s Lola Seymour won the U9 Female Board – one of multiple wins for the Northern Beaches club in the U9s.
In the older age groups, Avoca Beach SLSC’s Stella Webster, Tiziana Portese, and Lexie Bush won the U13 Female Board Relay – the only event for the age U11-U14 competitors that ran through to finals today. Host club, Swansea Belmont SLSC’s Georgie Withyman, Neve Harrison, and Indi Hoetzer won the U12 Female Board Relay.
Swansea was also victorious in the U11 and U13 Male Board Relays.
Competition continues on Saturday 21 February with a full slate of individual events and two of the competitions’ highlight races – the All Age Board and Beach Relays.
Friday 20 February 2026