Commonwealth Games - Pacific Islands Medalists & weekend wrap
As it came down to the business end of the Commonwealth Games this weekend, there were still medals up for grabs with 4 of our Pacific islands nations still in action on Sunday and they didn't disappoint with both Samoa and Vanuatu picking up the final medals for the Pacific Islands.
Samoa secured their 4th Silver by way of Heavyweight boxer Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali on Sunday evening in Birmingham. He took on home crowd favourite, 6ft 6 boxer Lewis Williams & put on as the commentators said 'a tremendous fight' but ultimately lost by Unanimous Decision.
At the medals ceremony, he shared the podium with fellow Pasifika fighter, Niuean Duken Williams who was awarded a Bronze.
The Vanuatu Womens Beach Volleyball team took on the New Zealand Womens Beach Volleyball team in the Bronze medal match and what a match it was.
They went down in the first set 10-21 to NZ, clawed their way back in the 2nd set to win it 22-20 and then were dominant in the 3rd, winning comfortably 15-10, a fantastic effort from the Vanuatu pair.
Overall, the Pacific Islands won a total of 13 Commonwealth Games medals. Here's a break down of all the medals won at the 2022 Commonwealth Games - a massive achievement for some of the smallest nations in the world.
Cover images photo credit: Lolo Heimuli & Vanuatu Beach Volleyball Facebook page
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SAMOA
Samoa won the Pacific's only Gold and picked up the largest medal haul with 1 Gold and 4 Silvers total - as at this morning they're ranked 19th in the Commonwealth.
Team Samoa's weightlifters were outstanding and shared the bulk of the medals with 4 of Samoa's medals coming via their Weightlifting team and their last Silver via Heavyweight boxer Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali.
GOLD - Don Opeloge broke the Commonwealth Games record with a Snatch of 171kg, a Clean & Jerk of 210kg and a total of 381kg in the 96kg Mens division. The young lifter is only 23 years old so we're looking forward to seeing him compete in many more games to come.
SILVER - Vaipava Nevo Ioane bagged Samoa's first medal of the games when he won Silver after competing in the 67kg Mens division. He competed just two days after his wife gave birth to their 3rd child who they have named Birmingham Jerry. He also shocked his team mates and coach when he took off his shoes placing them on the lifting platform to indicate his retirement.
SILVER - Jack Opeloge, younger brother of Don was lifting in a heavier division than he would normally compete in but still managed to medal and was very unlucky to be disallowed his 2nd Clean & Jerk attempt.
SILVER - Feagaiga Stowers was the only woman on the weightlifting team and was up against stiff competition from home town favourite Emily Campbell who broke the Commonwealth Games Record.
SILVER - Ato Plodzicki-Stowers wins his 2nd Commonwealth Games Silver after having previously won at the 2018 games on the Gold Coast. He had to beat Niuean Duken Williams in his semi final to fight for the Gold in the final against Englands Lewis Williams.
Watch the Gold medal match below
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FIJI
Fiji finished their Commonwealth Games bid with a total of 4 medals - 2 Silver and 2 Bronze
SILVER - Both Fiji Mens and Fijiana Rugby 7s teams made the Gold final but fell short against South Africa and Australia respectively. Fijiana have continued to improve after taking Bronze at the Tokyo Olympics last year.
BRONZE - Taniela Rainibogi took home a Weightlifting Bronze in the same Mens 96kg division which saw Samoa's Don Opeloge take Gold.
BRONZE - Fiji's flag bearer & Para-athlete Naibili Vatunisolo won Fiji's 4th medal on Friday morning in the Women's Discus Throw F42-44/61-64 with a PB & throw of 23.70m
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PAPUA NEW GUINEA
SILVER - Papua New Guinea's sole medal came via Weightlifter Morea Baru who put the Pacific Islands on the medals board first in the Mens 61kg division on Day 2 of competition.
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NAURU
BRONZE - One of the smallest nations in the Pacific Islands showed big heart when weightlifter Maximine Uepa took Bronze in the Womens 76kg division.
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NIUE
BRONZE - History was made when Duken Williams won his Heavyweight boxing Quarter final against Michael Schuster of the Cook Islands by Referee Stoppage as it guaranteed him a Bronze medal ... Niue's first ever Commonwealth Games medal.
He fell short against Samoa's Ato Plodzicki-Faoagali in the semi but it's only the beginning for this young boxer.
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VANUATU
BRONZE - It was a nail biting Bronze medal match for Vanuatu Women's Beach volleyball duo Pata/Toko against an aggressive NZ side but they came out on top, winning the Bronze in a thrilling 3 set game.
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