Road to Paris: Kiribati and Marshall Islands

Paris 2024, which kicks off this week, promises an unforgettable experience for all competitors and spectators including those from around the Pacific.

The Olympics especially gives Team Pacific a chance to move beyond their own struggles and showcase their skills, culture and talents on the world’s biggest sporting stage

Against the majestic backdrop of the Eiffel Tower, we will preview, schedule, and bring you the stars to watch from our Pacific Island nations.

Kiribati

Two athletes will represent Kiribati at its sixth consecutive Olympic Games.

Athlete to watch: Sixteen-year-old Kenaz Kaniwete will make his Olympic debut in Paris, competing in the men’s 100m.

After competing at several Oceania championships and the Pacific Games in Honiara last year, young Kaniwete has qualified to compete one of the Olympics’ most high profile events.

Kaniwete ran his fastest 100m at the Oceania U18 Championships in Suva, with a time of 11.35sec. Last year, the young athlete competed in the 200m race at the Pacific Games in Honiara. His fastest time was 23.49sec.

Team Kiribati: While 15-year-old Nera Tiebwa will be competing in the women’s under-57kg Judo, and 21-year-old Kaimauri Erati will compete in the men’s under-61kg Weightlifting.

Marshall Islands

The Marshall Islands will be competing in its fifth consecutive Olympics and three athletes are carrying the nation’s hopes.

Athlete to watch: Twenty-seven-year-old Mathlynn “Mattie” Sasser is one of the Pacific’s best female weightlifters, collecting several medals in competitions across Oceania.

At last year’s Pacific Games in Honiara, the veteran weightlifter took home three gold medals for the Marshallese Islands. She also collected two gold medals at Oceania championship competitions in 2016 and 2017 in the 58kg, as well as taking home gold at the 2017 Pacific Mini Games in the 63kg division.

Sasser also represented the United States at the 2019 Pan-American Games, breaking a senior American record snatching 102 kgs in the women’s 64kg division.

Team Marshall Islands: Phillip Kinono (men’s 50m freestyle) and Kayle Hepler (women’s 50m freestyle) are the country’s two other competitors.

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