Gold rush as competition heats up

The gold rush began yesterday as the first full day of competition in the 2008 Oceania Championships finally got going at the Oleai Track and Field.

Papua New Guinea’s Mae Koime and Fiji’s Iowane Dovumatua won the women’s and men’s race in the 100m—the glamor event of every Championships.

Koime reset her own record in the century dash, as she finished with a time of 11.66, besting the 11.79 she recorded in Apia, Samoa two years ago.

Teammate and closest rival Toea Wisil bagged the silver, coming in second at 11.94, while Fiji’s Makalesi Tumalevu took the bronze with her time of 12:39.

Dovumatua, for his part, ran a sub-11 en route to winning the men’s 100m in a time of 10.92. Teammate Setaerki Tikosaya and Solomon Islands’ Jack Iroga came up with the silver and bronze medals clocking in at 10.99 and 11.07, respectively.

In the men’s 5000m, Australia’s Brendan Whelan made sure to finish the race this time and was rewarded with the gold medal after checking in at 16:02.19. Tahiti’s Tupuhoe Tahi and Teiva Izal came in second and third with times of 16:12.54 and 16:13, respectively.

The 35-year-old Aussie said the conditions were so hot yesterday that he had to drink close to four litters of water before coming to the venue.

“It was a good race despite the hot conditions. It was so hot that I had to adjust how I normally race. I just took it slow and try to build on it. If my body was OK I would pick the pace up. I’ve got through it and I was felling pretty good and in the last 800m I picked up the pace a lot. I couldn’t see the shadows they were all dropping off and there was only this one guy and I beat him in the Cross Country so I picked up the pace some more.”

In the women’s 5000m, Guam’s Nicolas Layson gave the neighboring U.S. territory its first gold of the Championships by finishing in 21:11.76. She was followed by a couple of Tongans, Malia’Aneta Patolo (23:25.96) and Lata Tuifutuna (25:17.43).

In the field events, Daniel Kilama of New Caledonia continued to dominate the shot put with his 16.76m. Samoa’s Stephen Laseu and Kilama’s teammate, Mathieu Roulet, took second and third (14.44m and 13.68m).

Fiji’s Leslie Copeland took the gold in the javelin with his 67.02m. Silver went to Roulet (66.08m) with the CNMI’s Nick Gross bagging silver with his 52.43m.

In the women’s shot put, Samoa’s Tasele Iva Satupai took gold with a throw of 13.94m followed by Guam’s Genie Gierardo (9.79m) and Nauru’s Nina Grudler (9.66m).

Fiji’s Milika Tuivanuavou came first in the women’s javelin (39.36m). The silver and bronze medals went to Tahiti’s Perle Buard (39.02m) and Cook Islands’ Maki San Lockington (32.70m).

Kiribati, meanwhile, won its first-ever gold medal at an area championships when David Birati topped the men’s high jump with a performance of 1.92m. He was followed by Fiji’s Emori Sabua (1.86m) and Kristopher Williamson (1.83m).

In the under-18 competition, Guam’s Christopher Magtoto struck gold in the men’s 3000m with his time of 9:51.88. Solomon Islands’ Gregory Foasilafu and the CNMI’s Champ Untalan took the silver and bronze with times of 9:51.98 and 11:10.92.

Vincent Lasei of Samoa won the men’s discus with his 46.83m with Australia’s Travis Ambrum and Cook Islands’ Henry Taripo taking second and third with throws of 43.05m and 38.53m, respectively.

New Zealand and Australia finished 1-2 in the men’s 4×100 relay with Michael Cochrane, Joel Armstrong, Rory Hofmans, and Alex Jordan timing in at 43.60. Aussies Mason Holm, Dean Searles, Daniel McLean, and Linc Port came in second with a time of 43.88.

Danielle Trevis, meanwhile, added a gold to her Cross Country silver by winning the women’s 3000m with her 10:48.28. Solomon Islands’ Jessie Andreson, the Championships’ youngest competitor at 12 years old, took the silver with her 12:24.86, while Guam’s Joni Aguon won the bronze with her 12:32.77.

The women’s high jump belonged to New Zealand’s Tamara Anstis (1.67m) with Australia’s Emily Keehn (1.61m) and Kiwi Kirsten Hurley (1.55m) coming in second and third.

Satupai improved on her open gold medal performance by throwing for 14.27m in the under-18 competition en route to the gold medal. Iesha Beer of Australia was second (12.71) and the CNMI’s Jenequa Benavente third (9.53m).

Buard won the javelin with her 38.73m followed by Tamara (33.34m) and Patricia Taea of Cook Islands (31.91m).

In the women’s 4x100m relay, New Zealand’s foursome of Kelsey Berryman, Tamara, Kathryn Kennedy, and Olivia Blundell took the gold with a time of 50.76, followed by the CNMI’s Reylyn Sapong, Ana Tenorio, Jacque Wonenberg, and Liamwar Ranagamar (56.90).

With Day 2 of competitions over, New Zealand continues to lord it over the Championships with an unofficial medal haul of five gold, two silver, and one bronze. Samoa is second with four gold and a silver to its name, followed by Fiji with three gold medals, two silver, and the same number of bronze.