By Şevket F. ERBAY
There was a highly entertaining mode in Palau where tiny Pacific Nations have gathered together for the regional Olympics. A total of 15 teams have climbed to the podium, with Papua New Guinea retaining their lead in the athletics competition, while they only came fifth in the overall medal ranking.
Papua's new wave of sprinters impressed the most in the five-day contest at Koror's 4,000-seat National Stadium, which features a six-lane curved track that accommodated a limited number of final participants.
SPRINTING LIKE A PAPUAN
Tovetuna Timothy Tuna clocked 21.19 in the 200 metres final to clinch, just missing gold by 0.02 seconds in the 100 metres behind in-form rival Pais Wisil, younger brother of retired Pacific legend Toea Wisil. The 22-year-old Tuna, son of 14-time Pacific medallist Takale Tuna, prepared for the season in the United States and looked perfectly ready in the contest here. The sprinting duo, Tuna and Wisil, have contributed significantly to a blistering 40.23 national record in the 4x100 metres final ahead of Fiji. The previous record has endured for three decades, established at the 1995 Pacific Games with a time of 40.29. Additionally, the proud Papuans swept all four men's gold medals from 100 metres to 800 metres for the first time in 40 years.
GUAM SUCCESS
Guam's significant medal increase was another highlight of the athletics competition. The Guam envoys won four titles in the entire Pacific Mini Games programme, with three of them coming from the athletics track. The 19-year-old Hugh Kent stunned the field to claim double victory over 10,000 and 1500 metres and grabbed yet another medal in 5000 metres. On top of that, 2005-born Jordan Baden broke the games record in women's 5000 metres well ahead of the favourite Nathania Tan of NMI, as clocking the first sub-18-minute effort (17:45.37) in the Games.
FIJI'S DIAMOND: HELEINA
Fiji, one of the leading athletics nations among the Islands, ranked second behind PNG in the standings, as their talented one-lap runner Heleina Young impressed the crowd. As a current national champion, the 25-year-old Young amassed a total of five medals and was crowned three times, including a 200-400 double and a well-anchored 4x400 victory over PNG. She established a double personal best in 200 metres (24.01) and 400 metres (56.05), as praised by some, hailing her the best female sprinter since Makelesi Bulikiobo.
Fiji's 2023 Pacific Games star Yeshnil Karan was crowned as the 5000 metres champion in Koror, clocking 15:27.62 to become the first Fijian to win the event since 1993. Additionally, he won half-marathon gold on the final day and secured six titles in various distance events at the Pacific Games.
