Kairangi Vano stretches for the ball

The Cook Islands tennis team had a great day in Wednesday’s semi-finals.

In the women’s singles Kairangi Vano defeated Steffie Carruthers of Samoa to book a place in the final. She will meet Elodie Dietrich-Rogge of New Caledonia who defeated Brittany Teei of the Cook Islands. In the women’s doubles Kairangi Vano and Brittany Teei paired up to beat Maylani Ah Hoy and Tagifano Soónalole-Taosonga of Samoa. They will meet Elodie Dietrich-Rogge and Meryl Pydo (NC) in Thursday’s final.

The Cook Islands is also represented in the mixed doubles bronze medal playoff against Samoa.

The Cook Islands triathlon team celebrate their bronze medal

The triathlon started at 8.30am in warm conditions with eleven men and fourteen women vying for the medals.

New Caledonia are the powerhouse triathletes in the region; they won gold (David Esposito) and bronze in the men’s competition and cleaned up all three medals in the women’s section with Erika Ellis getting the gold. They also picked up the team medal, of course.

Tahiti got the silver in the men’s section and the team event while the Cook Islands triathletes were delighted to get the team bronze, Geoff Stoddart, Thomas Henderson and Jennie George being the first three Cook Islanders across the finish line.

The bowlers continue to rack up the medals. On Wednesday it was the turn of Nane Tere who won the bronze medal in the women’s singles.

It has been an awesome display from our bowlers who have won seven medals - four gold, one silver and two bronze - in the eight divisions.

Yukio Peter of Nauru - new Pacific Games records in the snatch and clean & jerk

Weightlifting continued at the Telecom Sports Arena with action in the men’s 69kg class (with Tekaei Temake of Kiribati taking all three golds); men’s 77kg (Fiji’s Josefa Vueti won the clean & jerk and total golds, Faavae Faauliuli of Samoa got the snatch gold); men’s 85kg (Yukio Peter of Nauru was a long way ahead of the field with new Pacific Games records in the snatch and clean & jerk; our own Sirla Pera won bronze in the clean & jerk and total categories); women’s 69kg (Tauimani Ah Kuoi of Samoa won all three golds); women’s 75kg (Samoa won all three golds again this time with Mary Opelogi).

Table tennis and squash also continued and will have their final medal games tomorrow.

Luisa Peters and Sam Pera Jnr are weightlifting tomorrow, and the rugby sevens competition begins with pool play.

The two pools are: Pool A: Niue, Cook Islands, Tahiti, Fiji, Wallis & Futuna Pool B: Samoa, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and New Caledonia.

And if you’re in town between 9am and 10am watch out for the lawn bowlers who are planning a march through town before ending up at the bowling club for the final medal presentations.