Vaivai wins first gold

WEIGHTLIFTER Apolonia Vaivai claimed the first gold medal for Fiji at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan, Northern Marianas yesterday.

Competing in the women’s 76 kilogram category, Vaivai won the snatch with a final lift of 95kg, edging Australian Olivia Kelly who managed 93kg.

In the clean and jerk, Vaivai managed two successful attempts with lifts of 105kg and 111kg. Kelly made all three successful lifts of 103kg, 114kg and 118kg to move ahead of Vaivai in the total.

Vaivai’s final attempt of 126kg failed, handing Kelly the clean and jerk and the total gold medals.

Kelly finished with a total of 211kg ahead of Vaivai with 206kg.

Meanwhile the national weightlifting team continued to impress, collecting more medals.

Patrick Veidreyaki hailing for Macuata, Vanua Levu claimed three silver medals in the men’s 81kg category.

Veidreyaki won silver in the snatch with a lift of 120kg, silver in the clean and jerk with a lift of 152kg, finishing with a total of 272kg to be placed second.

Miriama Taletawa won two silver medals and a bronze in the women’s 71kg category.

Taletawa won the bronze in the snatch with a lift of 67kg, then improved in the clean and jerk with a lift of 92kg to claim the silver.

With a total of 159kg, she edged Storm Wolff of Tahiti by 4kg to take the silver medal.

Darcy Kay of Australia dominated the event, winning all the three gold medals. Kay snatched 86kg, lifted 110kg in the clean and jerk to finish with a total of 196kg.

On the medal tally as at 8pm last night, Team Fiji had one gold, 12 silver and 8 bronze medals.

Papua New Guinea leads the standings with 13 gold, 8 bronze and 5 silver medals followed by Australia with 12 gold and 2 silver. Tahiti is third with 9 gold, 7 silver and 13 bronze medals.