DAY FOUR OF COMPETITION
WORDS BOB SNOW

This is the final day for events on the track and in the field. Tomorrow’s events will be on the road from a very early start time. Following the medal ceremonies the Palau Mini Games Athletics Programme comes to an end to an end.

The afternoon started at 3.00pm with the Men’s Para Discus Secured. It was a small field of four athletes – protecting all medals.

The gold medal winner was Jerome Bungee (PNG – F57 – 28.29m – 58.26%), with the silver going to Christian Chee Ayee (PYF – F56 – 21.84m – 46.78%) and the bronze to Pita Breeze (SOL – F57 – 21.27m – 43.81%).

A much larger field contested the Men’s Javelin Throw – with 9 athletes representing five nations. Surprisingly no entry from Wallis & Futuna, the “home” of Pacific Island Javelin throwers. Many of the good WAF throwers are in Paris trying to get into the French Team for important European competitions. Those throwers in Palau entertained the crowd with many long throws.

The winner of the Javelin was Lakona Gerega (PNG – 67.43m) to break his old National Record which was set in Suva last year. Second was Lucas Osida (PNG – 62.81m) for a huge personal best. Third was Toby Camilleri (AUS – 59.32m).

Five entered the next event – the Women’s Shot Put Ambulant – three from PNG and two from Fiji. Traditional rivalry at its best. The winner was Naibili Vatunisolo (FIJ – F42 – 8.72m). In second place was Dorna Longbut (PNG – F46 – 9.15m) followed by Manega Tapari (PNG – F46 – 8.98m).

At 4.30pm we saw the three Men’s 200m Semi Finals with speculation running rampant about who would emerge as the favourites for the final. My early thoughts are that the favourite will be Timothy Tuna, because earlier this year he ran an excellent 20.64 time to create a new PNG NR.

The leading candidates for gold, following the semi-finals were Timothy Tuna (PNG – 21.30 seconds) followed by Johnny Bai (PNG) and Waisake Tewa (FIJ) both of whom recoded the time of 21.63 seconds.

The Women’s 200m Semi Finals bring to our attention the top trio – Kayedel Smith (AUS), Heleina Young (FIJ) – both in Semi #2 and Isila Apkup (PNG) in Semi #1. Can’t pick who will emerge as the favourite for the final later in the day. The semi-final times placed Heleina Young (FIJ – 24.79 seconds) at the head of the list, followed by Isila Apkup (PNG – 24.92 seconds) and Kayedel Smith (AUS – 25.55 seconds). They should be faster in the final. (Spoiler alert – they were).

There is a small field of five in the Women’s Triple Jump – two from Australia, two from Palau and one from Fiji. The winner was Raphaila Idris (AUS – 11.90m) from Reki Roberts (FIJ – 11.00m) and Sydney Francisco (PLW – 9.97m).

The Final of the Men’s 400m Hurdles is keenly anticipated by PNG. They have won this event in every Pacific Games since 1991 – except in 2019 when the Australian Champion entered the event. They have also won gold in this event at the last three Mini Games. They are keen to get back on the dais. Would guess that Daniel Baul is the favourite, but who can tell.

Daniel Baul (PNG) did win the gold medal with a time of 51.55 seconds. His previous best was 51.80 seconds done in the Apia Games in 2019. Second was Sialis Passingan (PNG – 52.42 seconds – also a big personal best) and third was William Peka (PNG – 52.70 seconds – also a personal best. Palau has been good for these hurdlers.

The Women’s 400m Hurdles has a field of six with two from French Polynesia, two from Guam and one each from Tonga and PNG. As expected, the winner was Hereiti Bernadino (PYF – 65.00 seconds) from Raylene Kanam (PNG – 67.36 seconds) and Tu’ifua ‘Ofa (TGA – 69.53 seconds).

With six teenagers, and one “oldie” (Karo Iga – PNG – 33 years of age) it will be exciting to see how this new talent is able to handle this event.

The surprise winner was Samasoni Hewitt (COK – 2.00m) to become the first from the Cook Islands to win a Pacific Games or Mini Games gold medal in the High Jump. Well done. Actually, he is the first from the Cook Islands to win a medal of any colour in this event.

Tied on 1.95m were two Australian jumpers – Lucas Faber & Cooper Blake – and they were both awarded with silver medals.

The Men’s Long Jump Para Ambulant has four entries – two from PNG and one each from New Caledonia and Palau. The winner was Tom Lulait (NCL – T13 – 5.68m) much to the delight of the New Caledonian spectators. In seconds and third were F46 jumpers from PNG – Junior Dennis (5.51m) and Steven Abraham (5.46m)

A large field of 11 has entered the Women’s Shot Put. If she lives up to her previous

years’ form, the favourite would have to be Ata Maama Tuutafaiva from Tonga who must be the favourite.  And she did deliver, winning gold with a throw of 14.76m, from Australia’s Taylor Larsson (14.18m) and Fiji’s Maryann Macedru (13.81m). There were then in this event.

This is the fourth time that Ata Maama Tuutafaiva has won gold in the Pacific Games or Mini Games competitions.

The Final of the Men’s 200m heralded the evening session.

PNG’s new National Record holder, delivered for his country with a good time of 21.19 seconds. Only Banuve Tabacaucoro (FIJ) has run faster to take the Mini Games gold in this event. In second position was Fiji’s Waisake Tewa (21.60 seconds) and third went to Johnny Bai (PNG – 21.92 seconds).

Following the Men’s 200m we had the Women’s 200m and speculation continued right up to the gun as to who the medal winners would be.

With the wind reading being +2.0 mps, Heleina Young (FIJ – 24.01 seconds) recorded the fastest ever time in a Mini Games 200m event. Heleina recorded the same time in getting second behind Toea Wisil in the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, but that time was wind assisted.

Isila Apkup (PNG – 24.55 seconds) was second and Kayedel Smith (AUS – 24.75 seconds) took the bronze medal.

The last of the individual events for Day Four were the 1500m metres. Would Hugh Kent (GUM) bounce back to take out this event. He has strong opposition from PNG and the Solomon Islands.

Hugh Kent did win in the time of 4:01.37 seconds clearly ahead of the fast-finishing Jiuteis Robinson (PNG – 4:02.18) and Abel Siune (PNG – 4:05.72) in third place. Jiuteis recorded a significant 4 second personal best. One to watch for the future.

The Women’s 1500m looks to be a good event for Jordan Baden (GUM) looking to make it a second event after her good win in the 5000m last night.

It was not known if Scholastica Herman (PNG) was in good form or not. In the Honiara Games she experimented with many distance events – many beyond her preferred middle-distance events. Here she was evidently in her element, and she won the gold medal (4:46.94), beating early favourite Jordan Baden (GUM – 4:47.64), with Amandine Matera (PYF – 4:49.96) in the bronze medal position. The rest of the field were way behind the medal winners.

We finish the track events with the much anticipated Mixed 4 x 400m Relay. This relay has two female and two male competitors. The order of running is male – female – male – female. Great to have this event in our Pacific Games programme.

Papua New Guinea won this inaugural event and their winning time of 3:30.15 will stand as the inaugural Pacific Games Record. The gold medal runners were Daniel Baul, Patricia Kuku, Adolf Kauba & Isila Apkup. In second position was the strong team of Fiji (3:31.77) with their runners being Waisake Tewa, Heleina Young, Waisea Tuiyabayaba & Adi Ceva Lutumailagi. The bronze medal went to French Polynesia (3:39.68) with their quartet being Timothee Aumard, Mihivai Atrewe, Pol-Elie Raoult & Kiara Gilroy. Their team was three teenagers and a 31-year old. Something to build on for their home Pacific Games in two year’s time.

All finished for the night. Get a good night’s sleep to be up very early for the start of the Half Marathon races.