The 2026 PanAm Aquatics Swimming Championships, held from July 8 to 12 in the Colombian city of Ibagué, delivered a historic milestone for Surinamese swimming, as veteran competitor Ismaël Holtuin secured one gold and one bronze medal to cement his place among the nation’s most accomplished aquatics athletes.
Competing in the men’s 19-and-over division, Holtuin claimed top honors in the 50m freestyle, clocking a winning time of 22.85 seconds to secure the gold. He followed up this breakthrough performance with a third-place finish in the 100m freestyle, touching the wall in 50.40 seconds to take home bronze. Beyond his medal-winning runs, Holtuin also posted solid results in two additional events: he finished fifth in the 50m backstroke with a time of 26.95 seconds, and placed 10th in the 50m butterfly with a 25.62-second swim.
Organized as the official continental swimming championship for all of North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean, the PanAm Aquatics Championships brings together the region’s top competitive swimmers. The tournament serves as a critical international platform for nurturing emerging swimming talent and elevating the standard of elite aquatics competition across the Americas. Suriname sent a small three-person delegation to the 2026 event, consisting of Ismaël Holtuin, his younger brother Hassan Holtuin, and fellow competitor Tyrell Mokkum.
Hassan Holtuin competed in the 16-to-18-year-old age group, where his strongest showing came in the 50m breaststroke. He posted a time of 30.84 seconds to secure eighth place overall in the event. He also competed in three additional races: the 50m freestyle (25.44 seconds), 50m butterfly (27.17 seconds), and 100m breaststroke (1:11.12).
Tyrell Mokkum, also competing in the 16-to-18-year-old division, took part in five different events across the championship. He recorded times of 26.51 seconds in the 50m freestyle, 27.35 seconds in the 50m butterfly, 32.29 seconds in the 50m breaststroke, 1:13.27 in the 100m breaststroke, and 1:01.96 in the 100m butterfly.
The Suriname Swimming Federation has hailed the delegation’s overall results as an outstanding achievement for the nation’s swimming program. Officials highlighted that Ismaël Holtuin’s dual medal finish is a direct reward for years of dedicated training, strict discipline, and unwavering commitment to the sport. They added that the historic medals underscore the steady growth and rising international competitiveness of Surinamese competitive swimming.
The federation has officially extended congratulations to Ismaël Holtuin, his coaches Fabienne Nabibaks and Vincent Babel, as well as Hassan Holtuin, Tyrell Mokkum, and all supporting staff for their strong performances throughout the championship. Official final results will be published by the tournament organizing committee only after all post-event administrative processes, including any required doping control procedures, are fully completed.