Taina Basiyalo 
[Source: Morika Hunter/Facebook]
Fiji’s Olympic swimming dream is hanging on by the narrowest of margins just one hundredth of a second.
National sprint star Tolu Young is only 0.01 seconds away from becoming the first Fijian swimmer to qualify for the men’s 50-metre freestyle at the Olympic Games, after clocking 21.92 seconds, agonisingly close to the Olympic qualifying standard of 21.91.
The razor-thin gap underlines both how close Fiji is to a historic breakthrough in the pool and the fine margins that define elite sprint swimming.
In the 50-metre freestyle, often decided by hundredths of a second, a blink or a breath can separate qualification from heartbreak.
Young’s time, recorded last month, places him firmly among the fastest sprinters in the region and within touching distance of rewriting Fiji’s swimming history.
No Fijian swimmer has ever qualified outright for the Olympic 50-metre freestyle, making Young’s chase one of the most significant individual Olympic bids in the sport.
Coaches, supporters and his mother Morika Hunter remain confident that the barrier will fall, with several qualifying opportunities still ahead.
The performance also reflects the steady progress of Fiji swimming on the international stage, with athletes increasingly pushing into world-class territory. For Young, the target is now clear and brutally precise.
One hundredth of a second stands between him and the Olympics and between Fiji and a moment of history in the pool.
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