Theodore Rodgers pushes forward with the rest of the runners in the Senior Men 100m Heats of the Oceania Athletics Championships 2024 in Suva, Fiji.
Tania Tan leads the pack in the Senior Women 1500m Finals of the Oceania Athletics Championships 2024 in Suva, Fiji.
THREE of four Team NMI athletes finished strong in the second half of the Oceania Athletics Championships 2024 in Suva, Fiji.
Tania Tan reached another milestone on Tuesday in the 1500m event as she improved her personal best time of 5:07.30 to 5:04.28. The current NMI record is 5:01.54, which was achieved by Noriko Jim in the 2006 Micronesian Games.
On Wednesday, Tan competed in the 5000m distance and placed sixth with a time of 18:39.79.
“I’m pretty happy with both my performances,” she said. “I’m glad to have come away with a small PB in the 1500m. My main focus was…my own race. There were people running way faster than I’ve ever ran, so I knew that I had to just run my own race and not think about sticking with them,” she added.
Tan said she is thankful to be given another opportunity to represent the NMI internationally. “It’s always an honor to be able to compete at these high-level events, no matter what the result may be,” she added.
On Thursday, the NMI’s Theodore Rodgers and Zarinae Sapong completed the 200m sprint, which was their final event in Fiji.
Rodgers saw action in heat 2 of the Senior Men 200, finishing sixth with a time of 24.40. Only the top four advanced to the semifinals.
Sapong, who competed in heat 4 of the Senior Women 200m event, placed fourth with a time of 27.63. Only the top three finishers qualified for the semifinals.
Casey Cruz, who was scheduled to compete in the Senior Women 200m event, had to pull out due to her injury.
“The biggest challenge I faced in this year’s event was overcoming this injury,” she said. “It required a lot of patience and determination as I had to balance my desire to compete with the need to heal.”
Still, Cruz said she was grateful to represent the NMI in Fiji. “Coming to Fiji to represent my home country was a truly humbling experience. It was both exciting and nerve wracking. Racing against faster competitors from other countries motivated me to push harder, and as a result, I secured 4th place in my heat. This journey is far from over. I still have a lot to work on and aim to do even better in my next race,” Cruz added.
Asked about her performance, Sapong said, “I think there were definitely some positive aspects to my performance, but there’s always room for improvement, and I saw a few areas where I can work harder”
She said her main focus before competition day was “to maintain a strong mental state, and really just making sure I get adequate rest and nutrients before the competition.”
“Competing in Fiji has been incredible,” she said. “While the wind presented a challenge, there are definitely areas in my performance that need improvement. Nonetheless, it’s always an honor to run alongside the Pacific’s elite. A lot of the athletes are incredibly supportive, and it’s been inspiring to witness the para athletes and master athletes compete. The inclusivity here is remarkable, and I hope that in the future we can replicate this energy in our athletic events back home on Saipan. I know several athletes are utilizing this event to gain points for this year’s Paris Olympics, and our team is also tuning up for the Micro Games!”
Rodgers, for his part, said: “I’m grateful for my experience in the competition. I was able to learn a lot about what I need to do for the next race. My main focus going into the competition was getting my mind and body ready for it. My biggest challenge this year was overcoming injury. It was a very humbling experience for me seeing all these pro athletes.”
