Pacific Games to crown fastest man

The fastest man in the Pacific will be crowned later today, with medals up for grabs in five sports at the Pacific Games in Apia.

New Caledonia continue to lead the medals table from host nation Samoa, while a strong showing on the track lifted Papua New Guinea into fifth overall.

Papua New Guinea won six medals on the first day of athletics, including gold in the men's 3000m steeplechase and the women's 5000m.

That was enough to lift the reigning Pacific Games champions above Australia into fifth place overall with 13 gold, 22 silver and 13 bronze medals.

New Caledonia's shooters were on target in the team 25m short pistol to bring their total haul to 43 gold and 94 medals in all.

Host nation Samoa remain second after managing a solitary silver medal in the men's javelin.

Meanwhile Tahiti's Freddy Yen Kway prevailed in the individual pistol event to consolidate the French Territory in third place.

More medals are on offer today in shooting, squash and athletics, with Fiji's Banuve Tabakaucoro chasing a third consecutive gold medal in the men's 100m.

And judo and taekwondo will make their Pacific Games bow in Apia today, while the boxing gets underway on Savai'i.

 

Photo RNZI file. Caption:  Fiji's Banuve Tabakaucoro will chase a 3rd consecutive gold in the men's 100m