Waisake Tewa’s journey towards qualifying for the Paris Olympics at the Oceania Athletic Championship has been a remarkable experience.
Despite facing tough competition, Tewa’s hard work paid off as he clinched the silver medal in the senior men’s 100m exhibition final with a competitive time of 11.10 seconds.
Tovetuna Timothy Tuna of Papua New Guinea claimed the gold medal with a swift run of 10.94 seconds, while Luke Haga of the Solomon Islands secured the third spot with a time of 11.56 seconds.
The 20-year-old expressed his excitement about competing against skilled athletes from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
“Competing against athletes from Oceania is exciting for me, it’s fun to race alongside them, and they give me tough competition,” said Tewa.
“I only had three weeks to prepare for this event, as I got sick after the Pacific Games. But despite the challenges, this competition was a great start for me.
“The level of competition at the Oceania Athletics Championship is quite different from what I’m used to at the Coca-Cola games.
“It’s tough but running alongside my fellow Oceania athletes is an amazing experience, we’re all aiming for a spot in the Paris Olympics, and I can see that the competition there will be tough.
Tewa expressed his gratitude to Team Fiji and his family for their unwavering support throughout his journey.
