Samoa delivered a commanding performance at the Battle in the Bay strongman competition in Melbourne over the weekend, with five athletes from Strongman Samoa finishing on or near the podium across multiple divisions.
The event, hosted by Australia’s Strongest and Strong Geelong at the Melbourne Exhibition Centre as part of the Fitness Expo, drew competitors from across the region. Samoa’s athletes arrived well-prepared and performed consistently across all events.
Evangeline Taylor-Pati won the Open Women’s division, delivering confident and controlled lifts throughout.
“These events reward control and preparation,” she said. “We’ve been training for this level of pressure. Once I got through the first event clean, I knew I could settle in and keep the pace.”
Elsie Pesamino followed with a second-place finish, while Annette Punivalu placed fourth in a closely contested field.
In the men’s divisions, Ryan Walker took third in the Under 105kg category, and Misa Peter Anae placed second in the Open Men’s.
“We came here to compete properly, not just participate,” said Misa. “The whole team stayed switched on. No one panicked, no one rushed.”
Strongman Samoa acknowledged support from BearWell, who supplied the team’s kit and backed the campaign from the beginning.
The team now turns its attention to “Pacific Strongest,” set for 7 June in Apia. It will be the first international strongman event hosted in Samoa.
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