MULTIDISCIPLINARY PREPARATION !
In keeping with our previous experience of major events, we have again targeted the 100m. in Beijing to enable our representatives to participate at Olympic level. The female athlete nominated is Ms Kaitinano Mwemweata, (born in 1984) heading for her second Olympics. The male athlete, who earlier this year competed in the 60m. in Valencia, will be Rabangaki Nawai (23 this year)..
Several male reserves have also been accredited but we are praying that injury, etc. does not strike !
Rabangaki has been accepted into the Oceania Grand Prix Squad for the Oceania Grand Prix which starts before the main Championships in Saipan next month. The first G.P. Meeting will be on Sat. June 19; the second is on Monday, June 21; and the third in the series is during the Championships. The unfortunate aspect of this is that the team from Kiribati cannot arrive in Saipan until very early on Saturday morning ! Rabangaki will need to recover very fast from any jet-lag or reaction to a necessarily circuitous route which goes via Fiji and Korea ! This route has been arranged to avoid the passage through Guam and the need to obtain US visas in advance - a difficult and expensive process.
The benefit of having the whole team travel together is that they will all have the opportunity to compete in at least one of the two earlier G.P. Meetings. Also the extra time for settling in and doing some sharpening training should benefit the squad.
MULTI-EVENTS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
Both Rabangaki and Kaitinano have been entered for the Multi-Events in the Championships. Both have definite medal prospects and have been training hard to boost their performances.
An interesting sidelight is that, based on her fitness and acknowledged improvement in the Hurdles, Kaitinano has also been entered for the W400m. Hurdles on Day 3 of the Championships ! She is already the National Record-holder for the 100mH.
MAJOR MILESTONE TARGETS !
For both these athletes, the extra challenge in Beijing is to set new National Records for 100m. Both are the NR holders. Can Rabangaki go under-11 (NR = 11.17) ? Can Kaiti go under-13 (NR = 13.07) ? These would be huge milestones in KAA development.
CHAMPIONSHIPS TEAM.
Please see the next story for details of the Kiribati team for Saipan.
Last Modified on 25/05/2008 17:51