The City of Karratha welcomed the next generation of swimmers to the Pilbara for the 2026 Ngarluma Tri-Series Competition, with athletes from Western Australia, Victoria and New Zealand coming together for a week of racing.
The Tri-Series is a high-performance competition designed to introduce developing swimmers to the demands of performance racing within an international team environment.
The WA, Victorian and New Zealand teams will compete across a week of racing for the competition’s fourth consecutive year, held from July 6-11 at Karratha Leisureplex.
The event will provide athletes with an opportunity to experience representative team life, build connections with swimmers across Australia and New Zealand and further develop their skills both in and out of the pool.
WA Tri-Series athlete Thomas Cheeseman said it was a privilege to represent the State in this competition.
“It’s really an honour to represent the state knowing you’ve got people back home wanting you to do well,” he said.
“Knowing I’ve done all this training and being selected shows the results of that work.
“It makes me feel confident that I’m doing well.”
WA Tri-Series athlete Ciara Conroy said she enjoyed working in a team environment and pushing everyone to their limits.
“Swimming’s a really individual sport, so it’s good to have everyone with you and work as a team to help each other through the hard parts,” she said.
“I really enjoy the weather and the different scenery, the big hills, the red dirt and how warm it is.”
The competition’s relationship with the Pilbara has been reflected in the design of the 2026 Tri-Series medals, with the medal featuring the shape of Western Australia, the red dirt of the Pilbara and waves representing the State’s coastline.
WA Tri-Series assistant coach Angus Clouston said swimming away from the athletes home town was great for their development.
“The ability to race against athletes that aren’t from your home town or your own pool gives them exposure to see what swimmers that are better than them do, it’s fantastic for their developments,” he said.
“Coming out to Karratha, getting on the plane as a team and experiencing the red dirt, the landscape and everything here is fantastic.
“We’re very lucky.”
The event is backed by the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport.
Swimming WA Pathways co-ordinator and Team Manager Harry Jones said the competition was a key event in their performance pathway calendar.
“The Tri-Series Competition is one of the highlights of our performance pathway calendar because it combines high-level racing with team connection and cultural experiences,” Jones said.
“We’re excited to welcome teams to Karratha and provide our athletes with an experience that will help shape them as both swimmers and people.”
Swimming WA welcomes athletes, coaches and families to regional Western Australia for a week of racing, cultural experiences and connection.
The selected athletes of the competition will represent the strength and depth of the WA swimming community, with clubs and coaches playing a vital role in their development.
