2007 Melanesian Championships in Athletics

IV Melanesian Championships in Athletics
Host city	Cairns, Queensland, Australia
Date(s)	August 14–19
Main stadium	Barlow Park
Level	Senior
Participation	7 + 2 local teams + 6 guest nations
Events	38 (19 men, 19 women)
← 2005 Lae 2009 Gold Coast →

The 2007 Melanesian Championships in Athletics took place between August 14–19, 2007. The event was held at the Barlow Park in Cairns, Australia, jointly with the OAA Grand Prix Series. Many athletes utilised the competitions preparing for the upcoming IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan.^[1] Detailed reports were given for the OAA.^[2][3][4][5]

A total of 38 events were contested, 19 by men and 19 by women.

Medal summary

Complete results can be found on the Oceania Athletics Association webpage,^[6][7][8] and at sportfieber.pytalhost.com.^[9]

In high jump, long jump and triple jump, as well as in shot put, discus throw, and javelin throw, there were separate open competitions for the Melanesian championships and the OAA Grand Prix Series held on different days. In the sprint events, athletes not competing for the Melanesian Championships were assigned to the B finals.

Men

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 metres (wind: -2.4 m/s)	Otis Gowa Jump Start Australia	10.76	Moses Kamut  Vanuatu	10.88	Wally Kirika  Papua New Guinea	10.92
100 metres (wind: -1.6 m/s) Open B (Grand Prix Series)	James Dolphin  New Zealand	10.72	Chris Donaldson  New Zealand	10.73	Henry Ben  Papua New Guinea	11.10
200 metres (wind: -2.7 m/s)	Niko Verekauta  Fiji	21.26	Iliesa Namosimalua  Fiji	21.42	Moses Kamut  Vanuatu	21.57
200 metres (wind: -1.0 m/s) Open B (Grand Prix Series)	James Dolphin  New Zealand	21.15	Andrew Yong / North Queensland	22.21	Nelson Kabitana  Solomon Islands	22.39
400 metres	Iliesa Namosimalua  Fiji	47.30 CR	Niko Verekauta  Fiji	47.31	Nelson Stone  Papua New Guinea	48.44
800 metres1.)	Isireli Naikelekelevesi  Fiji	1:51.73 CR	Arnold Sorina  Vanuatu	1:55.04	Paulson Gebo  Papua New Guinea	1:56.29
1500 metres2.)	Isireli Naikelekelevesi  Fiji	4:04.55 CR	Sapolai Yao  Papua New Guinea	4:05.25	Rodney Rapasi  Solomon Islands	4:10.67
5000 metres	Sapolai Yao  Papua New Guinea	15:46.95	Philip Nausien  Vanuatu	16:04.55	Rodney Rapasi  Solomon Islands	16:51.80
10000 metres	Philip Nausien  Vanuatu	35:01.83	Chris Votu  Solomon Islands	36:09.77	Rodney Rapasi  Solomon Islands	47:52.14
110 metres hurdles (wind: -0.7 m/s)	Jovesa Naivalu  Fiji	14.71 CR	Luke Devenish  Australia	15.09	Sam Giatrakos  Australia	15.41
400 metres hurdles	Mowen Boino  Papua New Guinea	51.43 CR	Jone Wainiqolo  Fiji	53.01	Wala Gime  Papua New Guinea	54.86
3000 metres steeplechase	Sapolai Yao  Papua New Guinea	9:43.07 CR	Rodney Rapasi  Solomon Islands	10:39.37	Chris Votu  Solomon Islands	11:02.78
High Jump	Rajendra Prasad  Fiji	2.00m =CR	Ben Rickards  Australia	2.00m	Sam Giatrakos  Australia	1.80m
High Jump Open (Grand Prix Series)	Rajendra Prasad  Fiji	1.95m	Nicholas Murchie / North Queensland	1.90m
Long Jump	Rodney Blair Jump Start Australia	7.05m (wind: +1.4 m/s)	Hamish Nelson  Australia	6.94m (wind: +1.9 m/s)	Nicholas Murchie / North Queensland	6.89m w (wind: +3.0 m/s)
Long Jump Open (Grand Prix Series)	Julius Nymbane / North Queensland	7.46m	Rodney Blair Jump Start Australia	6.99m	Eroni Tuivanuavou  Fiji	6.82m
Triple Jump3.)	Eugene Vollmer  Fiji	14.66m (wind: +1.5 m/s) CR	Mong Taval  Papua New Guinea	13.91m (wind: +0.6 m/s)
Triple Jump Open (Grand Prix Series)	Eugene Vollmer  Fiji	14.35m w (wind: +2.2 m/s)	Mong Taval  Papua New Guinea	13.82m w (wind: +3.0 m/s)	Buraieta Yeeting  Kiribati	13.48m w (wind: +2.3 m/s)
Shot Put4.)	Travis Ambrum / North Queensland	12.38m	Luke Devenish  Australia	11.50m	Hamish Nelson  Australia	10.44m
Shot Put Open (Grand Prix Series)	Travis Ambrum / North Queensland	12.89m	Luke Poli / North Queensland	12.58m	Raymond Abdy / North Queensland	9.31m
Discus Throw5.)	Luke Poli / North Queensland	44.79m CR	Brendan Peeters Jump Start Australia	37.64m
Hammer Throw	Robert Grimaldi  New Caledonia	36.90m	Geoffrey Gardner  Norfolk Island	33.12m	Barry Mullins / North Queensland	28.49m
Javelin Throw6.)	Drew Potts / North Queensland	54.43m	Sam Giatrakos  Australia	44.87m	Ben Rickards  Australia	38.64m
Javelin Throw Open (Grand Prix Series)	Stuart Farquhar  New Zealand	77.65m	Leonard Tonhoueri  New Caledonia	52.91m	Dexter Dillay  Northern Mariana Islands	47.26m
4 x 100 metres relay	Papua New Guinea Jorim Emmanuel Wally Karika Henry Ben Peter Pulu	41.52	Fiji Timoci Momolevu Iowane Dovumatua William McGoon Filipo Delai	41.77	Solomon Islands Nelson Kabitana Jack Iroga Adison Alfred Chris Walasi	42.75
4 x 400 metres relay	Fiji Iliesa Namosimalua Isireli Naikelekelevesi William McGoon Niko Verekauta	3:16.23 CR	Papua New Guinea Nelson Stone Levi Albert Waname Egora Fabian Niulai	3:18.38	Vanuatu Arnold Sorina Kepsin Abraham Jimmy Kassiley Sam Kaiapam	3:24.36

^1.): The 800 metres event was won by Aunese Curreen from  Samoa in 1:50.59 running as a guest.
^2.): The 1500 metres event was won by Aunese Curreen from  Samoa in 3:56.11 running as a guest.
^3.): In the triple jump event, Buraieta Yeeting from  Kiribati was 3rd in 13.36m (wind: +0.6 m/s) competing as a guest.
^4.): The shot put event was won by Salesi Ahokovi from  Tonga in 12.55m competing as a guest.
^5.): In the discus throw event, Travis Ambrum from / North Queensland was 2nd in 42.30m competing as a guest.
^6.): The javelin throw event was won by Stuart Farquhar from  New Zealand in 77.58m, Dexter Dillay from the  Northern Mariana Islands was 3rd in 45.37m, both competing as guests.

Women

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
100 metres (wind: -1.8 m/s)	Mae Koime  Papua New Guinea	11.91	Toea Wisil  Papua New Guinea	12.05	Raphaela Baki  Papua New Guinea	12.31
100 metres (wind: -1.3 m/s) Open B (Grand Prix Series)	Sally McLellan  Australia	11.76	Ana Smythe  New Zealand	12.12	Eunice Steven  Papua New Guinea	13.08
200 metres (wind: +0.4 m/s)	Makelesi Bulikiobo  Fiji	23.36 CR	Mae Koime  Papua New Guinea	24.08	Toea Wisil  Papua New Guinea	24.23
200 metres (wind: +0.4 m/s) Open B (Grand Prix Series)	Ana Smythe  New Zealand	24.07	Melissa Johnson / North Queensland	26.10	Elis Lapenmal  Vanuatu	26.51
400 metres7.)	Makelesi Bulikiobo  Fiji	53.66 CR	Paulini Korowaqa  Fiji	58.48	Torika Odro  Fiji	59.14
800 metres	Salome Dell  Papua New Guinea	2:14.67 CR	Ann Mooney  Papua New Guinea	2:15.29	Cecilia Kumalalamene  Papua New Guinea	2:17.26
1500 metres	Salome Dell  Papua New Guinea	4:50.39 CR	Cecilia Kumalalamene  Papua New Guinea	4:56.38	Poro Gahekave  Papua New Guinea	5:00.29
5000 metres	Poro Gahekave  Papua New Guinea	18:58.10 CR	Florence Tina  Solomon Islands	20:52.20
10000 metres	Florence Tina  Solomon Islands	47:52.22
100 metres hurdles (wind: -0.7 m/s)	Rebecca Robinson  Australia	16.02
400 metres hurdles8.)	Sharon Henry  Papua New Guinea	63.24 CR	Shannon McCann Jump Start Australia	65.55	Heidi Van Lint / North Queensland	74.84
3000 metres steeplechase	Poro Gahekave  Papua New Guinea	11:54.71
High Jump	Ashleigh Reid  Australia	1.70m CR	Tara Whitehead / North Queensland	1.65m	Nellie Leslie  Papua New Guinea	1.60m
High Jump Open (Grand Prix Series)	Tara Whitehead / North Queensland	1.66m	Emma Fletcher / North Queensland	1.60m	Delilah Kami  Papua New Guinea	1.55m
Long Jump	Soko Salaniqiqi  Fiji	5.78m w (wind: +2.8 m/s)	Makelesi Tumalevu  Fiji	5.66m w (wind: +2.6 m/s)	Tara Whitehead / North Queensland	5.54m w (wind: +2.3 m/s)
Long Jump Open (Grand Prix Series)	Soko Salaniqiqi  Fiji	5.84m (wind: NWI)	Katie Cox / North Queensland	5.52m (wind: NWI)	Makelesi Tumalevu  Fiji	5.50m (wind: NWI)
Triple Jump	Tara Whitehead / North Queensland	11.80m (wind: +0.5 m/s) CR	Soko Salaniqiqi  Fiji	11.72m w (wind: +2.1 m/s)	Adriana Myrteza / North Queensland	10.52m (wind: +1.3 m/s)
Triple Jump Open (Grand Prix Series)	Tara Whitehead / North Queensland	12.02m w (wind: +2.7 m/s)	Soko Salaniqiqi  Fiji	11.52m (wind: +1.1 m/s)	Adriana Myrteza / North Queensland	10.39m (wind: +0.9 m/s)
Shot Put9.)	Brittany Knee  Australia	10.77m CR	Rebecca Robinson  Australia	10.56m
Shot Put Open (Grand Prix Series)	Valerie Vili  New Zealand	19.06m	Ana Po'uhila  Tonga	16.87m	Cheryl LeBrun / North Queensland	4.34m
Discus Throw10.)	Rebecca Robinson  Australia	34.12m CR
Discus Throw Open (Grand Prix Series)	Beatrice Faumuina  New Zealand	58.08m	Rebecca Robinson  Australia	35.96m	Cheryl LeBrun / North Queensland	14.24m
Hammer Throw11.)	Suzy Vercoe  Norfolk Island	34.44m	Brittany Knee  Australia	26.67m
Javelin Throw12.)	Sisilia Lau  Fiji	39.31m	Rebecca Robinson  Australia	33.66m
Javelin Throw Open (Grand Prix Series)	Serafina Akeli  Samoa	48.33m	Sisilia Lau  Fiji	42.38m	Cheryl LeBrun / North Queensland	10.51m
4 x 100 metres relay13.)	Papua New Guinea Eunice Steven Jacinta Langa Cecilia Kumalalamene Raphaela Baki	48.68	Solomon Islands Lisa Flory Pauline Kwalea Jenny Keni Joycelyn Taurikeni	52.07
4 x 400 metres relay	Papua New Guinea Ann Mooney Sharon Henry Eunice Steven Toea Wisil	3:54.12 CR	Fiji Sera Mereula Paulini Korowaqa Alena Vadrasamu Torika Odro	3:58.96	/ North Queensland Jacqueline Stresing Heidi Van Lint Megan McCaul Melissa Johnson	4:11.98

^7.): In the 400 metres event, Toea Wisil from  Papua New Guinea was 2nd in 55.66 running as a guest.
^8.): The 400 metres hurdles event was won by Jacqueline Stresing from / North Queensland in 63.17 running as a guest.
^9.): The shot put event was won by Valerie Vili from  New Zealand in 20.03m, Ana Po'uhila from  Tonga was 2nd in 16.49m, both competing as guests.
^10.): In the discus throw event, Cheryl LeBrun from / North Queensland was 2nd in 13.63m competing as a guest.
^11.): The hammer throw event was won by Ana Po'uhila from  Tonga in 41.11m, Serafina Akeli from  Samoa was 3rd in 29.55m, both competing as guests.
^12.): The javelin throw event was won by Serafina Akeli from  Samoa in 49.63m competing as a guest.
^13.): In the 4x100 metres relay event, a team from  Australia (Brittany Knee, Sarah Mackaway, Ashleigh Reid, Rebecca Robinson) was 2nd in 50.26 running as guests.

Mixed

Event	Gold		Silver		Bronze
Discus Throw Mixed Open	Beatrice Faumuina  New Zealand	57.69m	Ana Po'uhila  Tonga	46.76m	Travis Ambrum / North Queensland	41.83m

Medal table (unofficial)

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Fiji	12	8	1	21
2	Papua New Guinea	12	7	9	28
3	Australia	4	8	4	16
4	/ North Queensland	4	1	6	11
5	Jump Start Australia	2	2	0	4
6	Solomon Islands	1	4	5	10
7	Vanuatu	1	3	2	6
8	Norfolk Island	1	1	0	2
9	New Caledonia	1	0	0	1

Participation

The participation of athletes from 7 countries and 6 guest countries from Oceania was reported. In addition, two local teams comprising athletes from the organizing Athletics North Queensland (ANQ) (representing North Queensland) and from the Athletics Australia's Jump Start program for indigenous athletes ("Jump Start Australia") competed.

Guest countries from Micronesia and Polynesia:

References