ON July 21, 1984, The Fiji Times reported that Fiji was sending its largest team ever to the Olympic Games in Los Angeles.
There were 14 competitors.
It beat the 1956 record of five athletes. There were three teenagers who made the team and they were swimmer, now coach, Sharon Pickering Smith, then 16 years old, wind surfer Tony Philp Jr who was 15 and 19-year-old swimmer Warren Sorby.
The Olympians in that year were Viliame Takayawa (judo), Miriama Tuisorisori Chambault (athletics), Kathy Ragg (cycling), Inoke Bainimoli (athletics), Warren Sorby (swimming), Samuela Tupou (swimming), Bruce Hewett (yachting), Simione Kuruvoli (judo), David Ashby (yachting), Albert Miller (athletics) and Joseph Rodan (athletics).
On July 22, this newspaper ran an article titled Athletes have no games illusions. It reported that the team’s participation at the games would cost about $60,000 and possible due to fundraising in Fiji and in America. Athletes and officials were asked on their expectations at the games.
Joe Rodan, Fiji’s 400m and 400m hurdle hope said he was looking forward to the games because of the competition and experience he would gain and possibly the chance of winning a medal
Swimming coach Gordon Petersen said the team had been training intensively for six months and would be going in for the competition, experience and the times.
He saw the games as a good build up towards the 1987 SPG in Noumea as the three swimmers — Pickering, Sorby and Tupou — had not been getting much competition in Fiji.
Judoka Viliame Takayawa had also been training for about none months. However, he said, he had a better chance of a medal at the 1980 Moscow Olympics which Fiji did not participate in. Takayawa said that before the last games he was in peak form as he had trained for two years with periods in Japan and New Zealand.
The article said the two who could do well at the games were 21-year-old Ragg and Miller. Miller was studying in Sacramento, USA and had experienced some good competition. Ragg was New Zealand’s 3000m champion and 20km course holder and had been in the states for four weeks competing in pre-Olympic competitions.
“Whatever happens in Los Angeles, Fiji’s 14 competitors will come back rich in experience,” this newspaper said.
