Fiji’s weightlifter Apolonia Vaivai has bagged Fiji’s first Gold medal, edging out Australia in a close contest in the women’s 76kg snatch competition at the 2022 Pacific Mini Games currently underway in the Northern Marianas.
The 31-year-old went on to win two more silver medals in the division following a 111kg lift in the clean and jerk competition for the second-best overall lift of 206kg.
Her gold medal win is a huge feat given that she only made her return to the sport last year.
So 1 gold and 2 silvers
In 2018, Vaivai reportedly stepped down from the sport. She also told local media in the lead-up to the Games that she had been nursing a knee injury.
Vaivai who was named Fiji’s 2016 Sportswoman of the Year is no stranger to such medal-winning feats, having won bronze in the women’s 75kg at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, picked up gold in the 69kg category at the Oceania Weightlifting Championships, and won another bronze medal in the 2018 Commonwealth games. She also competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics where she finished 11th overall in the 69kg event.
Earlier in the day, Miriama Taletawa won a bronze and two silver medals in the women’s 71kg category.
Photo: Team Fiji
