PNG WOMEN MADE CLEAN SWEEPS IN 800m AND 400m

TEAM PNG athletics almost made a clean sweep of the relay events on the last day of athletics and day 4 of the 2013 IX Mini Pacific Games by bringing in a total of 10 gold, five silver and two bronze medals.

Photo: PNG's Poro Gahekave leading in the women's 3,000m steeplechase. - Picture by PNGOC MEDIA UNIT

In the women’s 4x100m relay on Friday (September 6), the side led by Betty Burua and Toea Wisil, with Adrine Monagi and Helen Philemon took out the gold by stopping the clock at 46.75s. Fiji followed closely with 47.34 and Vanuatu 50.32.

In the women’s 4X400m, Burua, Toea, Shirley Wunatup and Donna Koniel led the pack and came home to win the gold before Fiji, Tonga, Vanuatu and New Caledonia.

In the men’s 4X100m, the Kupun Wisil-led side came first to clutch the gold in a time of 41.75s after Team Fiji was disqualified, despite their anchor and fastest man in the Pacific Banuve Tabakaucoro cruised over the line first.

PNG pushed Fiji in the men’s 4X400m race and managed to claim the silver medal. Tabakaucoro was in the Fijian team that won that event.       

Early in the morning Sapulai Yao won the silver in the half marathon, while team mate Kasper Simbai finished fourth.  

Boino, the Oceania champion won the top medal in his favourite 400m hurdles and managed to grab another in the 110m hurdles. Raymond Koniel followed Boino not too far behind in the 400m hurdles and collected the bronze.

Burua grabbed the gold in the women’s 400m hurdles and her fellow athlete Koniel bagged the silver. Burua also collected a gold in the triple jump with a best jump of 11.95m.

In the men’s high jump, third-year Divine Word University student David Jessem won a silver with a leap of 1.96m. Isikiel Waga from Fiji took the gold with a height of 1.98 and New Caledonian Makatuki managed to go over 1.87m.

Toea Wisil stamped her authority in the 200m finals by stopping the clock at 24.12s. She was followed by Cook Islander Patricia Taea (25.67) and Fijian Elanoa Sailosi (25.25).

In the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, specialist Poro Gahekave took out the gold and team mate Mariana Peter took the bronze.