Papua New Guinea's men's 4x100m relay team broke PNG's national record at the Oceania Athletics Championship in Darwin. Photo credit: Oceania Athletics.
Source: ABC Pacific
Pacific athletes delivered a string of stand-out performances at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin, highlighted by a wave of national records across track and field events.
Track
Papua New Guinea’s men’s 4x100m relay team — Pais Wisil, Tovetuna Tuna, Leroy Kamau and Daniel Baul — broke the national record with a time of 40.17 seconds.
“It’s one of the best feelings ever. Put on our colours, put our flag up there, put our name out, just show everyone else that we are here, you know?” the team said.
The Cook Islands men’s relay quartet – Zarrian Rau-Heather, Piritau Nga Jnr, Max Teuruaa and Vernon Toaolamai-Holden – also set a new national benchmark in 43.13 seconds, with Toaolamai-Holden going on to break the Cook Islands 200m record.
Guam’s mixed 4x400m relay team – Braden Flinn, Hazel Wilson, Jeofry Limtiaco and Aleah-Rae Castro – made history, clocking 3:47 to break their national record and run under four minutes for the first time.
Wilson added another milestone in the 100m hurdles breaking Guam’s national record.
“I feel great. I went into this whole competition, just putting my trust in the Lord, and knowing that the only thing I can control is my attitude and my effort,” she said.
Solomon Islands fielded a mixed 4x400m relay team for the first time, with Leeroy Alulu, Julian Sosimo, Stephen Rahuasi and Karen Tran setting a national record of 4:06.
In middle-distance events, Nauru’s Isaac Oppenheimer and Federated States of Micronesia’s Simeon Jacob both rewrote their national 1500m records in a competitive field.
“Thankfully today was a tactical race and I was able to be up with Australia and NZ which is really great to have that experience,” Jacob said.
Oppenheimer later broke Nauru’s 5000m record.
In the junior ranks, Northern Mariana Islands’ Simon Tang set a new men’s U20 and Open 400m national hurdles record, while Tonga’s Ofa Tuifua broke Tonga’s national U20 and open women’s equivalent.
“Honestly, I’m surprised I did that, but it feels great cause that’s not my usual time, my goal was just to beat my personal best,” Tuifua said.
Eighteen-year-old Landen Taflinger broke both the Northern Mariana Islands U20 and Open 800m record, while Kiribati’s Kenaz Kaniwete set new national marks in both the open and U20 200m (22.04 seconds), adding to his sweep of national records across the 100m, 200m, 400m, 4x100m and 4x400m.
Field
Papua New Guinea’s Lakona Gerega and Samoa’s Donny Tuimaseve both broke national javelin records, throwing 72.26m and 72.30m respectively.
“Oh man, I feel stoked right now, coming over here after the Polynesian Championships and New Zealand Nationals,” Tuimaseve said.
“That was the first comp of the year for a very long time, and I didn’t do too well, went back, trained well, and came back out here with a PB so I’m happy.”
Fiji’s Maryann Macedru set a new national shot put record of 14.76m, finishing fourth in the women’s final.
Visit Oceania Athletics for more information.