Powerlifters gun for Games spots

POWERLIFTING athletes competed for a spot on the national team at the University of the South Pacific (USP) Gym on Saturday last week.
In the lightweight division (83kg), Jacko Daniels achieved a whopping record of 230kg for his first squat attempt, 175kg on his second bench press attempt and 265kg on his deadlift attempt. Altogether scoring 600 points.
He hopes that this would be enough to secure a spot on the Fiji team competing in this year’s Pacific Games.
The competition featured beginners as well as veteran lifters.
A new lifter, 23-year-old Misaele Moceivunisea came in second place despite only learning about the competition in February of this year.
“I had begun going to the gym three years ago but back then it was just for fun,” he said.
“I had heard about powerlifting from a friend so I decided to concentrate more on my form and technique.”
He scored 540 points despite not having a coach or any experience with the sport. His personal best is 135kg on the bench press, 195kg on the squat, and 227.5kg on the deadlift.
Head referee, Lorenzo Fonmoe says that this year’s competition will be stricter than usual. He notified The Fiji Times that the rules were meant to ensure that the athletes get a feel of what it would be like in the Pacific Games.
“They are not allowed to tuck out, wear shorts or even take off their straps,” he said.
“We are very particular this year.”
Powerlifting, although often confused with weightlifting, is a distinct sport. Competitors are given only three attempts in three separate lifts; the squat, the bench press and the deadlift.
The 2023 Pacific Games, a multi-sport event featuring athletes from across the continent, will be hosted by the Solomon Islands this year. The games are scheduled to begin between the November
19 until December 2.
The games were originally planned to be held from July 16-29 but had to be postponed because of COVID-19.