Athletics Community Mourns the Passing of Joseph Rodan Junior

The Oceania athletics family is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Joseph Rodan Junior, (JJ) a Fijian national and international representative athlete, leader, and advocate for sport, who lost his courageous battle with illness on 13 January 2026.

JJ’s impact on athletics was profound and far-reaching. As an athlete, he represented Fiji at two Commonwealth Games (1998 and 2002) and competed in multiple South Pacific Games, Mini Games, Oceania Championships, and Australian Championships. He was a three-time gold medallist in the decathlon and famously became the youngest male decathlete to win gold at the South Pacific Games at just 17 years old. JJ also held national records in pole vault and hurdles and earned collegiate scholarships to compete in the United States.

Joe still holds the Oceania Area 50m Hurdles Indoor record and amongst JJ’s other achievements were his Gold Medals in the Decathlon at the 1995, 1997, 1999 and 2003 at the South Pacific Games (now Pacific Games), and his 110m hurdles Gold Medal at the Oceania Championships in 2000.

Beyond his achievements on the track, JJ dedicated his life to developing athletics in Fiji and across Oceania. He served as Chief Development Officer and Interim Vice President of Athletics Fiji, managed national teams, and secured historic sponsorships that strengthened the sport’s future. JJ founded the Trailblazers Athletics Club, championed youth programs, and played a pivotal role in modernizing governance and strategic planning for Athletics Fiji.

At the regional level, JJ’s leadership was equally significant. He served as a member of the Oceania Athletics Association Council from 2019 to 2023 and as Chair of the OAA Development Commission, where he worked tirelessly to expand opportunities for athletes and coaches throughout the Pacific.

Joseph Junior was rewarded for his services to the Oceania Athletics Area Association in 2016 when he was a awarded the OAA Merit Award in recognition of his significant contribution to the sport of athletics over a sustained period within the Oceania Area of World Athletics and in particular in Fiji. JJ went on to be inducted into the Fiji National Olympic Committee Hall of Fame in 2019. He was the Fiji Team Manager at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2028 and the Pacific Games in Samoa in 2019.

JJ will be remembered not only for his accomplishments but for his generosity and unwavering commitment to the sport he loved. His legacy will live on in every athlete he inspired and every program he helped build.

Oceania Athletics Association President, Robin Sapong Eugenio, expressed his sadness at JJ’s passing and said, “Joseph Rodan Junior made a significant contribution to athletics both on and off the field. His dedication to the sport and his support for athletes will be remembered by all of us. Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time.”

The Oceania Athletics Association extends its deepest condolences to JJ’s family, friends, and the entire Athletics community.

— ENDS —