Which athlete will leave Palau with a swag of gold medals?
WORDS – Bob Snow
With the Athletics programme not starting until 4th July – a huge holiday for the people of the USA – we will have to see who lands at Koror Airport and moves into their team quarters.
On Day One of the Athletics, we start the programme at 6.00am on Friday the 4th with the Men’s 10000m. At present there are 11 entries ready to battle with their fellow competitors and the likely 85% humidity – and probably high temperatures and possible rain.
With his exceptionally fast run of 30:19.92 (Gold Coast 22 April 2025), the overwhelming favourite is Fiji’s Yeshnil Karan. The only question is – can he run a similar fast time in the heat and humidity of Palau? If he can, he will better the fantastic Games Record time of 30:30.96 set in 1989 at the Mini Games in Nuku’alofa. Alain who ruled the track and roads in the 1970’s and 1980’s with 27 medals from 1975 in Guam to 1991 in Port Moresby in events ranging from the 800m to the Marathon.
Still, it seems unlikely that anyone will get close to Yeshnil in this 10000m event. Since the Honiara Pacific Games, he has ruled supreme and is also the favourite to win gold in the 1500m, 5000m and if he has enough energy left, the Half Marathon on the final day of the Athletics Programme. If there was a Steeplechase event on the programme, he would be the favourite there as well.
Will there be another Distance Athlete to throw down a challenge?
To get a bit of perspective, however. It should be noted that many of the Pacific Island sprinters and field event specialists are ranked far higher in the Oceania Top Lists, but they go up against a strong team from Australia. Australian Women are favourites in seven events. In the Long-Distance events, Australia does not enter athletes, leaving it up to the Islanders to fight out the gold, silver and bronze.
Only a few days to go before all will be revealed. Can’t wait, and we are all hoping for some fine weather to help the athletes achieve their best. Just in case, I have my umbrella and raincoat!! They will help me – but (sadly) not the athletes. Just for the record, July is Palau’s wettest month, with an average humidity of 85%. Many of the Games from the first in Suva in 1963 have had problems with the wonderfully unpredictable (and predictable) weather events.
Bob Snow
—ENDS—