Lifter Santos falls short in Mini Games

Weightlifter Angel San Nicolas is the CNMI flag bearer during the opening ceremony of the 10th Pacific Mini Games last Monday at the Korman Stadium in Port Vila, Vanuatu. (Vanuatu 2017 Photo)

Raymond Santos missed the medal podium as competitions in the 10th Pacific Mini Games kicked off yesterday at the Korman Stadium in Port Vila, Vanuatu.

The 26-year-old Santos and Angel San Nicolas suited up for Team CNMI in the weightlifting contest with the former entered in the men’s senior 62kg division and latter in the 92kg weight class. San Nicolas competes today. Santos failed in his snatch at 100kg, but completed a clean and jerk of 120kg at the Epauto Adventist High School, falling short in his attempt to at least salvage a bronze medal.

Baru Morea topped Santos’ division, clinching the ninth weightlifting gold for Papua New Guinea as the Southwestern Pacific nation grabbed an early lead on the medal board. The 27-year-old Morea had successful lifts of 129kg in snatch and 155kg in the clean and jerk for a 284kg tally to sweep the gold in his category. Fiji’s Qaqa Poama was a far second at 110kg in the snatch and 127kg in the clean and jerk for a 237kg total, while Moses Ezekiel of Nauru settled for the bronze with 226kg (100kg snatch, and 126kg clean and jerk).

Santos’ best lifts of 110kg in the snatch, and 136kg in the clean and jerk could have at least earned him a silver medal had he not faltered in the snatch. As expected, he was clearly frustrated with his performance.

“It’s the worst competition of my life. I bombed out in my snatch and hit just 120kg in the clean and jerk. Clearly, it wasn’t my day, but it was still a good experience for me,” Santos said, adding that he might skip next year’s Micronesian Games in Yap as he is busy preparing for the Praxis next year. Santos won gold and silver medals in the 2015 Micronesia Weightlifting Invitational in Guam and the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei.

In other results, PNG earned two more gold medals in weightlifting, courtesy of sisters Thelma and Dika Toua with the latter establishing a new Pacific Mini Games record in the clean and jerk after a 110kg lift in the women’s senior 53kg division.

Dika Toua had 80 in the snatch for an overall 190kg to sweep the gold, while younger sister Thelma lifted 65kg in the snatch and 85kg in the clean to claim the 48kg division.

The weightlifting contest will conclude today so Team CNMI’s next competition will be in athletics and 3×3 basketball (men’s).

Meanwhile, more than 5,000 athletes, officials, and guests gathered at the Korman Stadium to celebrate the grand opening ceremony of the Mini Games.

Performers from the host nation provided a show, while Vanuatu Prime Minister Charlot Salwai declared the Mini Games open. The ceremony then concluded with a nine-minute fireworks display.