OAA executive director, Yvonne Mullins who arrived on Friday together with OAA French Polynesia representative Titaua Maurin said in an interview that one of the challenges they are going to have Leslie Copeland of Fiji, who is one of Oceania’s best in javelin throw.
Copeland she said throws 75 meters and Mullins who visited the track and field facility upon her arrival on the island, thinks that distance is about the length of the entire field.
“There’s nothing we can do about it. So we see it as a challenge,” she said.
The 2008 Oceania Under 18 and Open Area Championship and 2008 Oceania Grand Prix Series will start on June 21.
The local organizing committee chaired Rep. Ramon A. Tebuteb had the program ready. The committee scheduled the opening of the championship on June 25 at the Carolinian Village in Garapan where all athletes and delegates will parade to the American Memorial Park.
Mullins went to the track and field facility to see how ready it is for the Oceania tournaments.
There are maybe about two or three things that needs to be done, she said.
First are the holes or peeling offs at the start line of the 100 meters track, which she said need .to be repaired.
Mullins expects that to be done by early this week.
Second are the running rails that have to be replaced.
Matthew Cohen, of Trackmasters International Limited arrived early last week to survey and facility and fix whatever needs to be repaired.
He made a few changes in the markings along the track into to the size that meets the current standard of .the International Association of Athletic Federations.
After completing the survey and a few “retouch” of the track, he prepared the 40-page report to the OAA.
The track, Mullins said was about one and one half inch too long until fixed it.
Now, she expects the track has been updated to meet the IAAF standard.
Mullins said the facility is 99 percent ready for the Oceania tournaments.
Mullins also visited the Aquarius Beach Tower, the Chalan Kanoa Beach Hotel and the Summer Holiday Hotel where the athletes are going to stay. She said she found the “athlete’s village” so nice citing the village and beach ambiance.
For the Grand Prix athletes, breakfast and lunch will be the responsibility of the team members but the dinner will be provided by the local organizing committee.
Team managers will receive a per diem to cover the cost of lunches for the Grand Prix athletes.
