With thanks to Oceania Athletics Life Member, Bob Snow for the following on the Pacific Island Athletes.
ASA Nathan Crumpton – 100m
Nathan competed in the 100m at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021 recording the time of 11.27 seconds in the Preliminary Round. He also represented ASA at the World Championships in Eugene (2022) in the 100m with the time of 11.73 seconds in the Preliminary Round.
He represented has American Samoa in the Skeleton event in the Beijing Winter Olympics in 2022, where he finished in 19th position. He gained much publicity when he marched in the ‘freezing” weather at the Opening Ceremony in traditional dress, bare-chested and well-coated with oil.
COK Alex Beddoes – 800m
Alex currently he is the Pacific Islands’ Record Holder in the 800m with a time of 1:47.26, set at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.
Alex has also represented the Cook Islands – in the 800m, at the Barcelona World Junior Championships (2012 – with 1:58.30), the Glasgow Commonwealth Games (2014 – with the time of 1:53.16), the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games (2016 – 1:52.76), Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (2018 – 1:51.64), the Tokyo Olympics (2021 – 1:47.26 – NR), the Birmingham Commonwealth Games (2022 – 1:52.72).
In Pacific Games competition, Alex has recently ruled supreme, with gold in both the 800m (1:53.18) and the 1500m (4:03.13) at the 2019 Pacific Games in Apia, Samoa and gold in the 800m at the 2017 Mini Games in Port Vila (1:54.77).
FSM Scott James Fiti – 100m
One of FSM’s most decorated athletes. He participated in the 2017, 2019 & 2022 Pacific & Mini Games. Bronze in the 100m & 200m in the 2014 Micronesian Games. Gold in the 100m & silver in the 200m in the Micronesian Athletics Championships (2018).
Represented FSM at the 2021 Olympics (flag bearer in the opening ceremony) and the World Championships in 2017, 2019 & 2022.
FIJ Kesaia Nasigavou Boletakanakadavu – 100m
Kesaia was identified through her participation in the Fiji Schools’ Championships. In 2018 she won the Sub-Junior Girls 400m in the time of 59.52, which still stands today as the record. In the next few years, she won the 100m, 200m & 400m in various age divisions.
In 2022 she won the Senior Girls 100m in 12.40 and won it again this year in the time of 12.25. In the first of Fiji’s Trials for the Pacific Games in Honiara (held on 15th July 2023), Kesaia recorded the time of 13.12.
GUM Joseph Green. – 100m
Joseph hails from Yigo in Guam. Since high school he has attended college in the USA, currently at the University of Arizona in Tucson. His bests are 100m (10.93 [+0.8]) run in 2023. In 2022 he competed in the Mini Pacific Games in Saipan Northern Mariana Islands and made the final recording a time of 10.99 [0.0] and 22.23 [-1.6] in the 200m. Joseph also competed for Guam in both relays. The highlight of his Athletics career so far has been to represent Guam at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, where he competed in the 200m, recording the time of 22.04 [0.0].
KIR Tauro Tiaon – 100m
Twenty-year-old Tauro represented Kiribati in the 2022 Mini Games in Saipan. He competed in the 100m (12.21 [-3.1]) and the 200m (24.29 [-0.9]). This is his first venture into the world arena in Athletics.
MHL Ty’ree Langidrik– 100m
Participating, as part of Team Micronesia, in the Oceania Cup in Saipan in June 2022, 25-year-old Ty’re recorded the time of 11.86 [-1.5] in the Invitational 100m event and 24.10 [-2.1] in the 200m.
NRU Winzar Kakiouea – 100m
Winzar is currently training in South-East Queensland preparing for his participation in the World Championships in Budapest and the Pacific Games in Honiara in November-December.
NMI Zarinae Sapong – 100m
Zarinae has represented Northern Marianas many times at regional and international meets.
In 2022 she competed in the 100m (13.04 [+1.1]) and the 200m (27.64 [+4.0]) at the Oceania Championships in Mackay. Later that year she finished in 7th position in the final of the 100m (13.12 [-1.6]) and 5th in the final of the 200m (27.33 [-2.6]) at the Mini Pacific Games on her home island of Saipan.
In 2023 she competed, once again on Saipan, in the 100m (13.20 [-2.0]) while representing the Northern Marianas Team in the Oceania Cup. She won gold medals in the 100m & 200m in the 2016 Micronesian Championships and a silver in the 400m. Competed in the Pacific Games / Mini Games in 2017, 2019 & 2022. Gold in the 100m & 200m and silver in the 400m in the Micronesian Athletics Championships (2016).
She has represented NMI in the World Championships in 2017, 2019 & 2022, the World Junior Championships (2016) and the World Youth Championships (2015) plus the World Indoors (2016 & 2018).
PLW Sydney Francisco – 100m.
Sydney competed in the U18 Division of the 100m at the 2022 Oceania Championships in Mackay, with a time of 13.80 [+0.8]. Her time in the 200m was 29.20 [+3.4]. This will be Sydney’s first time representing her country at the World Championships.
PNG Leroy Kamau – 200m
Leroy has had an excellent 2023 season, following on from a very good 2022. He is closing in on the PNG National Records for the 100m and 200m. His times in the USA have been mainly wind aided, but he has had a few with the wind behaving itself to produce good runs of 10.46 & 20.99 seconds. In addition, he has had windy performances of 10.43, 20.75, showing that the NR’s may be under threat in Budapest.
Leroy won a silver medal in the 200m (21.48 [-1.6]) at the Mini Games in Saipan in 2022. Earlier he recorded the time of 10.77 [-1.1] in his heat of the 100m.
In 2023 he won the 100m (10.65 [-2.1]) and the 200m (21.68 [-1.9]) at the Oceania Cup in Saipan in 2023. He was a member of both gold medal winning relay teams.
PYF Manuihei Teaha. – 100m
Born in 2007, Manuihei has a wonderful early career opportunity to compete in a World Championship. In 2002 he participated in the Oceania Championships in Mackay in the U18 Long Jump (5.60 [0.0]) and Triple Jump (11.69 [+0.2]).
Manuihei has run a personal best for 100m earlier this year at Punaauia, French Polynesia of 11.44 seconds (+1.1)
SAM Alex Rose – Discus
In April this year Alex created history, when he threw an Oceania Area Record of 70.39m in the Discus at Ramona, Oklahoma. His top ten Discus throws have all come in the period 2021-2023. In Pacific Island competition we first saw him in the 2013 Oceania Championships in Tahiti where he won gold in the Shot (16.60m), Discus (56.05m) and the Hammer (55.49m). Next was in 2015 at the Port Moresby Pacific Games where he won gold in the Discus (56.40m) and silver in both the Shot (16.58m) and the Hammer Throw (58.66m). Prior to the Moresby Pacific Games Alex won the Shot (16.89m) and the Discus (60.95m) at the Oceania Championships in Cairns – 2015. He also won silver in the Hammer (53.29m). Two years later he won gold in the Oceania Championships (Suva – 2017) Discus with a throw of 61.12m – breaking his old record. With less than a month before the start of the Budapest World Athletics Championships, Alex is ranked 5th in the world with his throw of 70.39m in April. He has qualified for the World Championships – being the only Pacific Island athlete to do so.
SOL Jovita Arunia – 100m
Jovita, represented the Solomon Islands at the 2022 Oceania Championships in Mackay in the 100m (13.29 [+1.1]) and the 200m (27.59 [+1.8]). The following month she competed in the World Athletics Championships in Eugene, Oregon, with a 100m time of 13.15 [-0.1].
TGA Melino Tafuna – 100m
Melino finished 2nd in the Tongan National Championships Senior 100m (11.08 [+3.1]) and 3rd in the 200m (22.68 [+2.2]) and won the Senior 400m (51.79). He was a member of his team’s gold medal winning 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m Relays. Melino also won the Long Jump (6.38m [+1.5]. At 17 years of age, Melino is another one of the extremely young participants in the World Championships this year.
TUV Karalo Maibuca – 100m
Karalo was born at Nanumanga, Tuvalu in June 1999. He is of mixed Fijian and Tuvalu ancestry. The family today has strong Fiji connections. In his 24 years he has packed in a considerable number of major championship events. He has competed at two Commonwealth Games (2018, 2022), one World Indoor Championships (2018). This will be his second World Championships after competing in Eugene. He competed at the Tokyo Olympic Games, where he was the flag bearer for Tuvalu. In 2022 He was part of Team Tuvalu to the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan where he competed in the 100m (11.76 [-2.0]) and the 200m (23.66 [-0.9]). A few weeks after the Mini Games, Karalo competed in the 100m at the Birmingham commonwealth Games, where he broke the Tuvalu NR in the 100m with a time of 11.39 [+0.6].
VAN Chloe David – 100m
Chloe lives in Fiji where she has been schooling. She has recently competed in the Fiji Schools’ Championships and the Fiji Trials for the Pacific Games in Honiara. In the schools’ competitions Chloe was returning good times in 2019 and in 2022 she won the Inter Girls 100m in the time of 12.8 (nwi) and 26.41 (nwi) in the 200m. In 2022 she competed in the Mackay Oceania Championships, in the U18 Division where she returned times of 12.74 [+0.8] and 12.81 [+0.9] in the heats and final of the 100m. In the 200m she returned times of 26.64 [+3.5] and 26.52 [+1.6]. At the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022 she clocked 12.60 [+0.7] in the 100m and 26.75 [0.0] in the 200m. Her 2023 regional competition was as part of the Melanesian Team to the Oceania Cup, in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands. In the Cup Chloe competed in the 100m (12.86 [-2.1]) and the 200m (26.91 [-2.5])
