Pacific Games best male athlete and triple gold medallist Taniela Rainibogi became Fiji’s first men weight-lifter to win a medal at a global tournament after scooping three medals at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix in Qatar earlier this week.
The tournament, which also serves as a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympics, also saw the 25-year-old break a total of six records.
Rainibogi collected a silver medal in the snatch event and a bronze in the clean and jerk, breaking three Commonwealth and Oceania records in doing so.
He managed to lift 162 kilograms in the snatch, 170kg in the clean and jerk, which brought his total weight lifted to 380kg. In an interview with Radio New Zealand(RNZ), head coach and former national rep Hendry Elder Sr said Rainibogi’s achievements were historical.
“I think our first lifter competed in 1953, so it took us 70 years to do it,” Elder told RNZ.
“This was the big one for me, this is special,” said Rainibogi, whose training preparations were for two competitions rather than one.
Despite an impressive outing at the tournament in Qatar earlier this week, the 25-year-old is still yet to qualify for the 2024 Olympics.
This was confirmed by his coach Elder, who together with Rainibogi arrived in the country yesterday.
“He still has two other tournaments where he will compete, and will look to qualify for the Olympics,” he said.
The Levuka lad is also preparing to compete at the 2024 Oceania Championships in Zealand and the IWF World Cup in Thailand next year.
Rainibogi had just returned from the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands where he managed to win three gold medals.
He was also awarded the best male athlete award alongside Solomon Islands golden girl, Jenly Tegu Wini, as the best female athlete.
