Competing in the men's 67kg division, Vaipava snatched 125kg and clean and jerked 164kg for a total lift of 289kg.
That earned him three gold medals in the Pacific Games, as well as gold in the Oceania and Commonwealth Championships, which are also being staged in Apia.
The 31 year-old Vaipava last competed on home soil 12 years ago, when Samoa last hosted the Pacific Games, and says it was emotional for him to have his family in the crowd supporting him.
