Younis Bese
Bese specialises in the short sprints — 100 metres, 200m and 4x100m relay.
Her personal best in the 100m is 11.89s which she ran at the 2015 Oceania Regional Championships in Cairns, Australia.
This year, she’s run a season’s best of 12.58s at the 2016 Darrel Gourley Open in Liberty, Montana USA while representing Southwestern Community College in her first year of collegiate track.
Last year at the 2015 South Pacific Games, Younis finished second in the women’s 100m final, behind Pacific sprint queen Toe Wisil of PNG, in a time of 12.27s.
Younis brings with her a wealth of experience running against top sprinters in the Oceania region, Commonwealth and against some of US’s top collegiate female sprinters and will surely be a threat to current Fiji’s fastest Alesi Finau and Sisilia Seavula and Pacific sprint queen Toe Wisil.
Upon her return from the US, Younis has been working really hard on the track and in the weight room under the guidance of Henry Elder.
Milika Tuivanuavou
Tuivanuavou is by far, Fiji’s most versatile athlete. Over the years Milika has transformed herself into a finesse triple jumper despite showing vast improvements in the shot put. She’s chosen to concentrate on the triple jump at this year’s Melanesian Championships in a chance to try and qualify for the Rio Olympics.
Despite her athletics prowess, Milika is not all brawn as she has a degree in Kinesiology and works at Azusa Pacific University as assistant jumps coach to her mentor and coach Jonathan Thiesen. She has recorded a personal best of 12.86m which stands as the Fiji national record and she has a season’s best of 11.74m only from a short approach and will look to come close or even better her personal best if she goes from her full approach.
Last year Milika came second to Rellie Kaputin at the Pacific Games with a jump of 12.05m.
Mustafa Fall
After smashing the Fiji National Record in the shot put at last year’s Pacific Games, Fall looks to set another national record and personal best given his current fitness and form. He opened up his 2016 season with a throw of 14.34m and averages 14.76m and is the only male shot putter to have thrown over 14m consistently in Fiji in the past 6-7 years with the 7.26kg implement, Fall finished 3rd at last year’s Pacific Games.
Belasio Waqadau
Fiji had a history of great triple jumpers in the Pacific with the likes of former national record holder Tomasi Naidole, William Young, Joseph Prasad, Lorima Vunisa and current national record holder Eugene Vollmer. Belasio Waqadau of Natabua High School has jumped his way into the top 10 all-time Fiji triple jumpers, his personal best of 14.58m at this year’s Coca-Cola Games lands him at No. 6 Fiji’s top 10 all-time triple jumpers. With Eugene Vollmer on a year’s break from competition, the former Lomary Secondary School student will be the top bet to challenge Penial Richard of PNG who currently leads the Pacific triple jump ranking with a jump of 15.35m.
Belasio’s average performance of 14.47m, a competitive spirit and with the home field advantage, we look forward to see Belasio push his way into the 15m range which only two jumpers in the history of the event in Fiji have done.
* SOURCE: ATHLETICS FIJI
