Page 24 - IB August 2021

Olympics Olympics

PACIFIC PRIDE AT THE TOKYO GAMES

Oceania’s representatives did our region proud at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Here’s what
they had to say after their events.

“[I would like to] try
“Yes, I am finally to get a medal in the
here to make my Pacific Games and [I]
childhood dream would also [like to] try
real”. It was and actually qualify
mixed emotions, again for 100m and
but I had to pull 200m in Paris 2024, so I
myself together. would feel like I belong
PNG long jumper in there.”
Rellie Kaputin on Kiribati sprinter Lataisi
finally reaching on his future ambitions.
the Tokyo Olym-
pics athletes
village

“Swimming is
majorly over- “Most people don’t know where Kiribati is. I want people to know more about us, so I use weightlift-
looked as a sport ing and my dancing, to show the world.”
and people back Kiribati’s David Katoatau competed in the weightlifting competition and received attention for
home tend to be his flashy dance moves after each lift
more into basket-
ball and soccer…I
think the biggest
challenge we have “Reflecting on my performance, I think I’m a lot more hungrier now after the race in Tokyo than I
is just the lack of was after going through the whole pandemic. Alright let’s fast forward to 2024. What do I need to
competitiveness do get there and how good do I want to be at that point? So definitely a lot more hungrier now and I
that is needed for set the bar really high for myself for the next three years.”
athletes to better Guam’s Regine Tugade-Watson ran a 12.17 in the women’s 100m, which was a season best
themselves.
“However, now
that the younger
athletes are going
off to international “From here I plan
competitions and on keeping my head
gaining a hunger up and training for
to win, I believe the Commonwealth
that in the coming Games next year and
years, the FSM the World Champion-
will rise and our ships. I didn’t get
athletes will also what I wanted here
become better in Tokyo but I’m
with time.” proud to be a two-
Swimmer Tasi time Olympian.”
Limtiaco (FSM) Samoan discus
thrower, Alex Rose

24 Islands Business, August 2021