16 Oct 2018

Sport: Pacific track athletes fly in Buenos Aires

2:10 pm on 16 October 2018

Pacific athletes have impressed on the track at he Youth Olympics in Argentina.

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Photo: OIS

Tuvalu's Kanaee Saloa Tauia ran a personal best time to finish second in his stage two heat of the men's 100 metres.

With 11.45 seconds Tauia was a hundredth of a second behind the winner from Haiti.

American Samoa's Iosefa Mauga was fourth in the same heat while the Solomons Ronward Hinarua was disqualified.

In the women's stage two heats, Kanisleen Michael from the Federated States of Micronesia was third in her race, a tenth of a second faster than Darina McDermott from Kiribati in 4th.

Nauru's Melanie Ribauw was sixth in her heat for the same event.

In the men's cross country final, Vanuatu's Dick Kapalu finished last, more than two minutes behind the winner from Kenya, Jackson Kavesa Muema.

Kapalu was 51st ahead of eight competitors who did not finish the race.

Jil Walter.

Jil Walter. Photo: Supplied

In boxing, American Samoa's Falaniko Tauta has been was beaten in the second round of the men's welter weight division by Moroccan fighter Yassine Elouarz.

Meanwhile, Samoa super heavyweight Vaisilika Toalua Tuigamala missed his second round bout because of a clavicle injury.

In rugby sevens, Samoa men lost to South Africa in pool play 31-7 to finish the competition without a win.

And in archery, Samoa's Jil Walter was defeated 7-1 in the Women's Recurve Individual Elimination Round by Indian archer, Himani Himani.

In last Friday's ranking round, Walter placed 30th out of 32 archers while the Indian was 3rd.

South Africa on their way to beating Samoa.

Samoa vs South Africa at the Youth Olympics Photo: Olympic Committee. Creative Commons.

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