FIJIAN swimmer Meli Malani has failed to qualify for the Rio De Jainero Olympic Games on merit, after stopping the clock on 23.46minutes in the 50metres freestyle event last night at the Oceania Swimming Championships.
However, Malani will still be competing at the Olympic Games in August on A wild card entry.
Malani just two months ago had set a new national record in the same event after he stopped the clock at 23.18mins at an event in Ohio, United States of America.
He had broken Carl Probert’s national record for the same event, which Probert had set at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004. Probert’s time was 23:31mins.
Meanwhile, the Fiji 4×100 freestyle relay mix team collected a bronze medal last night. The relay team consisting of Paul Elaisa, Kinisimere Naivalu, Ela Rasau and Epeli Rabua collectec Fiji’s seventh medal at the 11th Oceania Swimming Championship.
“It felt good winning bronze, it’s such an honour to stand on the dias,” Rabua said.
Elaisa who is a member of the Tritons Swimming Club, Naivalu a member of the Seals Swimming Club, Rasau who is with the Nadi-based Barracudas Swimming Club and Rabua a member of the Race Club had been preparing individually for the event, and only came together last Saturday when Team Fiji marched into camp for the championship.
“It’s actually awesome, this is our contribution to Team Fiji’s medal count, and we feel good about our performance tonight.”
The relay team stopped the clock at 3:54:52minutes behind Australia who collected silver medal and New Zealand claimed the first place collecting the Gold medal.
Rabua said the side had been preparing well for the event and a bronze medal win was better than not being placed at all.
Fiji has collected two silver medals and five bronze medals so far in the race. The championship will end today with a 5kilometre race at Pacific Harbour.
