The 7th SPMG Outrigger Canoe (Va'a) Competition was one of the most competitive ever held. With the absence of the All Conquering Tahiti contingent, the medals for this event were wide open and all Countries made the most of their chances.

New Caledonia won 6 medals from 6 events entered, winning 5 gold medals. The highlight however was the emergence of Cook Islands, winning 10 medals overall including three gold medals.

Palau led the Micronesian contingent with 1 silver and 2 bronze however the dominance of the Southern Pacific nations in this sport was clear.

The prevailing weather forced us to change the venue for the competition from Meyuns Ramp to Nikko Bay. This provided a safe and well sheltered venue for the competition and this was appreciated by all competitors.

My thanks go to the many volunteers and our hard working support staff for making this event possible despite the weather. Special thanks goes to Lucinda Jenkins from Tonga for acting as Race Secretary for the event.

Final Medal Tally for Outrigger Canoe

Country                Gold   Silver  Bronze

New Caledonia	        5	1	0

Cook Islands		3	5	2

Samoa			1	1	0

Fiji			1	0	5

Niue			0	2	0

Palau			0	1	2

Papua New Guinea	0	0	1

Not Awarded          	0       0      	0

Total               	10	10	10

We were pleased that all medals could be awarded in our sport in this event thanks to the excellent turnout of crews. 7 out of 9 Countries present at these Games won a medal.
Baklai Temengil
Competition Manager - Outrigger Canoe