FIJI’S Commonwealth Games gold medallist Taniela Rainibogi must overcome an unexpected setback as he prepares for the World Weightlifting Championships in China later this month.
Rainibogi bombed out in the snatch at the Fiji Day National Championships at the National Fitness Centre in Suva last Saturday, admitting pain and a demanding training week affected his performance.
“The performance today was not really what I wanted,” Rainibogi said.
“I struggled with this competition today, with a lot of pain and some hard training from the previous week.”
The setback, however, is not new for the champion lifter, who revealed he faced similar difficulties while preparing for the Commonwealth Games.
“Preparing for the Commonwealth Games, I had this issue just leading up to the Games,” he said.
“Now we are back preparing for the qualification, struggling to maintain the lifts and be consistent.”
National coach Henry Elder said such setbacks were common among senior lifters and was grateful Rainibogi avoided the problem at the Commonwealth Games.
Rainibogi now turns his attention to the World Championships, beginning on October 25, and the World Cup in Qatar in December, as he pursues qualification for the 2028 Olympic Games.
