FIJIAN weight-lifter Apolonia Vaivai broke two senior Oceania records in the snatch and settled for a silver medal in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan on Saturday.
Vaivai lifted 102 kilograms in the women’s 69kg weight category in the second attempt and went on to lift 105kg breaking 17-year-old record of 100kg set by Australian Michelle Kettner in 2000.
She lifted 116kg in the clean and jerk which gave her a total of 221kg and Fiji got their first medal in the Asian Games.
Vaivai said she was happy with her lift.
“I feel so good right now, I never imagined that I would be here competing in the Asian Games because the lifters who come here are tough and put up a really good challenge,” Vaivai told FASANOC media.
“But I managed to get a medal and I feel excited and happy to not only to break two records but win Fiji’s first medal at our first Asian Indoor Games.
“This achievement has definitely given me more confidence to keep working hard in the future to become the best I can be.”
Weightlifting Fiji coach Joe Vueti said it was first medal for Fiji and he was proud of Vaivai’s achievements.
“There was obviously some technical mistakes in the clean and jerk but then again that is the way the game is and missing out on the gold,
“I mean even myself I looked at it as a very easy gold for Apolonia,” he said.
“But weight-lifting is a very technical sport, once you miss an attempt you cannot afford to miss another, especially when the pressure is on. We missed two crucial lifts in the clean and jerk and that is what cost us the gold but we are still proud of her.
“Apolonia will use this as a stepping stone and by the next games in Vanuatu she should be breaking more records.”
