As PNG opens up on a high note at the Oceania Athletics Championships – POST-COURIER

June 29, 2017

Athletics

Papua New Guinea has made a good start to the opening day of the Oceania Track and Field Athletics Championships being held in Suva, Fiji yesterday. PNG won two gold medals plus a silver in the opening session. Rellie Kaputin won the long jump with her fifth jump of the competition, leap-frogging Australian Jessie Harper who had led from the first round, said Athletics PNG president Tony Green. There were no records this time for Kaputin but she did have the satisfaction of being the only athlete to record six legal jumps, taking off behind the board every time. Simbai Kaspar was the surprise winner of the mens 5000m in a time of 15mins 50 seconds which is just a shade outside his personal best of 15min 49 set in 2015. Fellow Simbu athlete Abel Siune won silver in the U-20 mens 5000m. Young Roland Hure in his first overseas competition was just one centimetre outside the medals in the U20 long jump, Green added. Theo Piniau and Ephraim Lerkin cruised through the 400m semi finals and are set for an epic battle in todays final with Australias Murray Goodwin and Fijian Samuela Railoa threatening to spoil the PNG party. With a place in the World Championships at stake for the three Island athletes this promises to be the best race of the Championships. In the U-20 division, Emmanuel Wanga and Damien Kotou both qualified for the final. The in-form Wanga will face a strong challenge from Australias Louis Stenmark, Green added. Wesley Logorava, Nazmie Lee Marai and Charles Livuan all advanced to the 100m semi finals and Toea Wisil was a class apart in the womens 100m semi-final. However her (Wisil) hopes of running a world championship qualifier are not being helped by the windy conditions, said Green. Competition continues this afternoon with the mens long jump, womens javelin and the heptathlon getting underway, whilst on the track the 100m semi finals will be followed by walking events then the 400m finals. The session will end today with the 100m finals at 7.05pm.

Waisake Naholo will start on the right wing for the All Blacks against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday, with Ngani Laumape set to continue his remarkable rise after being brought into the match-day 23 following Ryan Crottys hamstring injury.

Usain Bolts preparations for the world championships received a jolt as he struggled to win his penultimate race before defending his 100m and 4x100m titles in London and then admitted to having some health issues with a stiff back.

British and Irish Lions coach Warren Gatland has handed captain Sam Warburton a start in one of three changes to the side beaten 30-15 last weekend for Saturdays second test against New Zealand.

Waisake Naholo will start on the right wing for the All Blacks against the British and Irish Lions on Saturday, with Ngani Laumape set to continue his remarkable rise after being brought into the match-day 23 following Ryan Crottys hamstring injury.

Usain Bolts preparations for the world championships received a jolt as he struggled to win his penultimate race before defending his 100m and 4x100m titles in London and then admitted to having some health issues with a stiff back.

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As PNG opens up on a high note at the Oceania Athletics Championships - POST-COURIER