Mary Opeloge with her record-breaking lift in Noumea! 

By Renate Rivers

The first competition day for Team Samoa’s Weightlifting crew has yielded an impressive 4 Gold medals, 3 Silver and 1 Bronze. Held at the Salle Serandour Omnisports Centrecentre, this discipline holds Samoa’s best chance at jumping the line on the leader board for medals.

 Competing in the under 69kg division, Toafitu Perive delivered two gold and one silver for Samoa in both the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk.

Bob Pesaleli was unable to secure a medal in his weight division (77kg) in the face of strong, experienced competitors from Fiji Kiribati and Tonga. His top lift of 105kg in the snatch was not enough for a medal – gold went to Takenibeia Toromon of Kiribati with his 121kg effort. Bob lifted a solid 143kg in the clean and jerk but was well short of the gold lift from Fijian Paula Peniasi Taqua. Overall gold for this division went to Tongan Ilaniume Finau who carried 272kg total as well as winning silver in the snatch and grabbing bronze in the clean and jerk.

Toafitu (under 69kg division) in action at Salle Serandour last night

The men’s under 85kg weight division featured two Samoan competitors – Petunu Opeloge and Uati Maposua who was carrying a thigh injury which saw him retire in the second round of the clean and jerk competition.

Despite his injured condition, Uati successfully collected a silver medal with a 125kg snatch, ahead of Josefa Atekini of Fiji but not close enough to challenge Papua New Guinea’s Steven Kari for the gold – Steven lifted 140kg for the win, also breaking the South Pacific Jnr record and setting a new Oceania record with his pull.

Petunu secured a bronze medallion for his efforts in the clean and jerk, lifting 150kg and a top effort of 155kg, just short of the silver medal lift of 157kg by Fijian Josefa. Both were well short of the gold-medal lift by the powerhouse Steven Kari who lifted a whopping 181kg. Steven was one kg shy of breaking the Oceania and South Pacific record for clean and jerk (currently 182kg) – he attempted to set a new Commonwealth Jnr record with 187kg for his final attempt, but could not hold the barbell above his head for the requisite amount of time.

The women’s divisions featured Mary Opeloge in the under 75kg category and Vanessa Lui and Tauimanu Ah Kuoi in the under 69kg weight.
In the snatch, Mary lifted a tremendous 101kg, setting a new South Pacific Jnr and Snr record as well as a new Oceania Jnr and Snr record in the snatch for her weight division.

Her closest rival, Nauruan Michelea Detenamo was well short at 93kg for the silver medal.

Vanessa managed a silver lift with her clean and jerk top weight of 100kg whilst Tauimanu struggled throughout, only just missing out on the bronze in the clean and jerk.

Vanessa Lui powers through her lift

The overall Gold medals went to Mary for both Snatch, Clean and Jerk in her weight division, whilst Guba Hale of PNG won the under 69 kg category.

Weightlifting continues tomorrow, with more medal hopes resting on the shoulders of Niusila Opeloge, Faavae Faauliuli and Ele Opeloge in their respective divisions.

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Renate Rivers

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