Weightlifting

He caused the biggest upset after beating 2018 Commonwealth Games gold medalist David Liti from New Zealand and silver medalist Lauititi Lui (Samoa) to win two golds for Tonga in the highest division (Over 109kg) of the weightlifting competition.

The 25-year-old won Gold in the Clean and Jerk category and the Overall category, and a Bronze medal in the Snatch category.

 Tuitupou and fellow underdog Malachi Fa'amausilifala (Samoa) took full advantage of failed lift attempts by the favourites David Liti and Lauititi Lui.

Petelo won 3 gold in the Pacific Games Women’s 81kg category, Oceania Juniors, Oceania Women’s 81kg A and the Commonwealth Juniors and 81kg A category.

The silver medals went to Papua New Guinea and Nauru won bronze.

Photo Samoa Weightlifting Federation. Caption: Golden girl Leotina Petelo (2^nd from right) with Deputy Head of State, Honorable Le Mamea Ropati.

The gold medals were collected in the 81kg men’s category, Oceania Junior and Commonwealth Junior.

Opeloge, 18, also set a new Oceania record.

He won two silver medals including one for the Oceania Senior Division.

Opeloge won a bronze in the 81kg Clean & Jerk event.

Other Samoan champion lifters Leotina Petelo, Loto Pereira and Don Opeloge are also competing today.

Photo Samoa Weighlifting Federation Caption: Samoa's Golden Boy, Jack Opeloge with the Deputy Head of State of Samoa, Honourable Le Mamea Ropati

The Auckland teenager snatched 94kg and clean and jerked 112kg for a 206kg total, to win all three gold medals in the women's 76kg division.

It really does mean a lot because it just shows that all my hard work is paying off, at the end of the day, and I'm just very pleased with myself and all of my team members."

Eighteen-year old Sekolasitika Isaia took out the gold medal in the Women/Juniors 59kg Group A category in the Oceania Competition Wednesday.

Isaia also won silver in the same category for the Commonwealth Competition also underway on Apia.

India won gold in the Commonwealth event.

Isaia previously won 2 silver medals at the Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu in 2017 and a bronze medal at the Oceania meet in New Caledonia in 2018.

Photo Samoa Weightlifting Fed. Caption:  Samoa's Sekolasitika Isaia (left) waiting to receive her medal.

Feagaiga lifted 124kg a personal best in the Snatch to edge out the 2018 World Champion, Sion Mi Lee from Korea.

Lesila Fiapule finished in 5^th place in the same category.

Feagaiga’s gold medal finished off the championship on a high note for the Samoan weightlifters.

Earlier this week, Don Opeloge set a world record and snatched two gold medals at the championships.

The event ended in Suva today.

Photo supplied Samoa Weightlifting/Facebook   

Director General of the International Weightlifting Federation, Attila Adamif says most of them plan to use the games as a qualifier for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

He recently visited Samoa to see the preparations for the games.

The additional events mean there will be "athletes coming all over from the world," Adamif said.

"I’m sure from Europe, Pan-American, Asia and hopefully Africa. So, it won’t be just a Pacific event, it will be a global event."

Among the outstanding stars at the Vanuatu Games is 17-year-old Samoan weightlifter Fegaiga Stowers, who set a new Commonwealth record in the women's 90kg class by lifting 108kg in the snatch, 131kg in the clean-and-jerk for a 239 kg total.

Papua New Guinea's Stephen Kari secured all three gold medals in the men's 93kg category by lifting 155kg in the snatch and 195kg in the clean-and-jerk.

International weightlifting referee Lilly Coffa, a trainer at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia, says the athletes are ready for the Commonwealth Games.

Stowers, who is 17 years old, set a new Commonwealth record in the women’s +90kg, lifting 108kg in the snatch, 131kg in the clean and jerk, and 239kg overall.

An emotional Stowers wiped away tears of joy as she climbed atop the podium to receive her three gold medals.

Luisa Peter of the Cook Islands claimed silver in the snatch and overall, while Nauru’s Charisma Amoe picked up silver in the clean and jerk.

In the men’s 94kg, Kari secured all three gold medals on offer, lifting 155kg in the snatch and 195kg in the clean and jerk.

Samantha Hansen from New Zealand secured the gold medal with a score of 163 points, while Maria Liku from Fiji finished second with 158 points securing the silver and Kiribati’s Tiiau Bakaekiri claimed the bronze.

In the 75kg division, the gold medal was won by a woman with a name familiar to many in the weightlifting fraternity. Apolonia Vaivai won gold with a record 215 points, as Hayley Whiting from New Zealand took the silver with a score of 176 points with the bronze going to Australian lifter Philippa Torea Frances Woonton.