Go for gold: Sāmoan siblings set to take Paris by storm

There is already talk about the impact of young athletes on the Olympic Games.

IOC president Thomas Bach says these rising sports stars are undoubtedly giving their role models a good run for their money.

Siblings Tuva'a and Samalulu Clifton, with links to Sāmoa, New Zealand, and the Falkland Islands near Argentina, are among the contingent of youth competing in Paris.

Flying the Sāmoan flag, the brother-sister kayakers will take on the best in the world when they front up at the Vaires-sur-Marne Nautical Stadium next week.

PMN Sāmoa caught up with the Cliftons to talanoa about their journey to one of the biggest international sporting events.

Watch Tuva'a and Samalulu Clifton's interview below.

One thing is for certain, it hasn't been smooth sailing for the canoe sprinters.

Born and raised in New Zealand, the pair have been kayaking for the past 12 years. And they are both proud to be representing their Sāmoan maternal links in Paris.

"We come from the villages of Malie, Fasito'iuta, Safune, and Lano, over back in Sāmoa," Tuva'a, 27, said.

He qualified for Paris after winning gold in K1 500m at the Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands last year.

Under coach Gavin Elmiger, training for the Olympics included a six-day grind from 5.30am at Lake Pupuke on the North Shore of Auckland.

The sessions also saw a 20km paddle, three times a week followed by other workouts on the water or in the gym.

Samalulu has represented New Zealand at international meets but switched to racing for Sāmoa in 2022.

"I thought it would be a cool opportunity to join Tuva'a and race for our heritage and all our Samoan family and represent the small country of Sāmoa.

"There was just a cool opportunity there where I could qualify through the Oceania champs and I thought you know I've been kayaking for a long time.

No pain, no gain: Samalulu and Tuva'a Clifton at training. Photo/supplied

"I'm proud to represent Sāmoa and to do it alongside Tuva'a is really cool."

Tuva'a said growing up in New Zealand, they were "sort of away from the Sāmoan culture".

"So, it's really good to be competing for Sāmoan as a way for us, another connection back to our Sāmoan heritage. And yeah, being able to represent Sāmoa and be a part of it, is really cool."

Samalulu also said they tried to connect back with their culture growing up.

She said they attended Sāmoan bilingual school right through to A'oga Fa'a Sāmoa, a Sāmoan-language immersion centre.

"Then we went to Richmond Road and then Kōwhai and we managed to get our Sāmoan learning and culture all the way up growing up so it was kind of natural to make that switch."

More than 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries are in Paris vying for Olympic glory in 45 sports, from archery to wrestling.

The Games officially got underway on Saturday, New Zealand time, and some of the world's best athletes are the ones who aren't allowed to legally drink or vote just yet.

Everybody seems to be talking about Team USA's 16-year-old track and field sensation Quincy Wilson because he's already setting youth records leading up to the Paris Games.

The high school phenom took the track and field world by storm at the US Trials in Eugene, Oregon. Wilson broke the Under-18 world record of the 400m in 44.20secs, blitzing the 42-year-old US schools log.

Wilson, the youngest male athletics Olympian in Paris, will be part of the 4x400m relay pool for the USA.

Team USA's youngest members Quincy Wilson and Hezly Rivera are in Paris to try and secure some hardware for the Stars and Stripes. Photo/USA Gymnastics

He is joined by fellow American gymnast Hezly Rivera, also 16, whose impressive performance included 27.975 points across two balance beam routines at the US Trials.

Rivera beat four-time gold medallist, Simone Biles, 27, and 2021 All Around gold medallist Sunisa Lee, 21.

For Tuva'a and Samalulu Clifton, their dreams of Olympic glory are no different from those of Wilson and Rivera.

While this is Samalulu's first Olympics, her brother was part of Team Sāmoa in Tokyo 2020. Tuva'a competed in the men's K1 1000m, K1 200m, and K2 1000m.

He qualified for Tokyo after achieving a time of 39.48secs in the men's K1 200m at the Oceania Canoe Sprint Association Championships in Sydney in February 2020. He beat Tonga's Pita Taufatofua and Cook Islands' Te Aro'a Pekepe.

In Tokyo, Tuva'a finished fifth in the quarterfinals of the men's kayak single 1000m in 4:21.301, behind Russia, China, Brazil, and Iran.

Before becoming Olympic sprint kayakers, the Cliftons were both surf lifesavers at Muriwai Beach.

Tuva'a and Samalulu Clifton begin their competition on 7 August. The Paris Games end on 12 August.

PMN's Olympics coverage is proudly brought to you by the Pasifika Medical Association Group.

Tuva'a, Samalulu and Aotea Clifton. Photo/supplied