Two Pacific Island weightlifters, Don Opeloge from Samoa and Eileen Cikamatana from Australia, are strong contenders for Olympic medals as the Paris Games approach their final weekend.
Samoa’s Medal Hope Don Opeloge, who will compete in the men’s 102-kilogram event on Saturday night (New Zealand time), is seen as Samoa’s best chance for a medal. After rigorous preparation and qualification, Opeloge feels ready to take on the challenge. His journey to the Olympics has been a long-held dream, one that he’s pursued for the last 13 years. This year, he was honored with the chiefly title La’auli in Samoa, recognizing his achievements and contributions to the sport.
Opeloge comes from a family of weightlifters, inspired by relatives who have competed for Samoa, including his aunt, Ele Opeloge, the first Samoan to win an Olympic medal with her silver at the 2008 Beijing Games. Currently ranked eighth in the world, Don Opeloge’s best lift is a total of 386kg, achieved in Riyadh last year. He also claimed a bronze medal at the IWF World Cup Grand Prix in Doha in December and has set Commonwealth and Oceania records in the 102kg category.
Opeloge faces tough competition for a medal, particularly from China’s Liu Huanhua, who set new world records in the men’s 102kg category earlier this year.
Embed from Getty ImagesAustralia’s Fijian recruit Eileen Cikamatana.
Cikamatana’s Gold Ambition Eileen Cikamatana, an Australian weightlifter originally from Fiji, is also a strong medal contender. Competing in the women’s +81kg category, Cikamatana has her sights set on gold, a goal fully supported by her coach, Paul Coffa. The 24-year-old athlete has consistently performed well, including a second-place finish at the 2022 IWF World Championships in Colombia and a third-place finish in Riyadh in 2023, with a total lift of 256kg.
Coffa, who has decades of experience in Pacific weightlifting, is confident in Cikamatana’s abilities, believing she has what it takes to secure gold at the Paris Olympics. She will compete on Sunday (New Zealand time) at the South Paris Arena 6.
