‘I do belong’: Tongan lifter reflects on his journey as Paris beckons

A Tongan powerhouse weightlifter will don the New Zealand colours for the second time - his first at an Olympics in France in August.

David Liti was named to represent Aotearoa in the +102kg division at the Paris games.

This week, he reflected on his journey to qualify for France24, saying it revealed a greater purpose for him as an athlete.

“One of the biggest things I realised while trying to qualify, (was) I think giving myself the acknowledgement that I do belong in the world-class weightlifting scene.

“For a long time, I always thought that it wasn’t for me. That I just happened to be of Tongan descent and my dreams helped me carry these heavy weights.

“But throughout this qualifying period, I realised and I learnt that I do belong to be one of the top weightlifters in the world.”

Travelling halfway across the globe to Havana in June 2023, Liti had no special plans for the IWF Grand Prix but he had one goal in mind - to lift a total of 400kg in the +109kg category and qualify for the Olympics.

He did reach his objective, even bettering his previous result in the Olympic qualifier in Bogota, Colombia, in December 2022 - with a 396kg effort in Cuba.

The Havana lift also earned him the top lifter from Oceania and a spot on team Aotearoa to Paris.

Liti scooped two Commonwealth Games medals - gold in 2018 (Gold Coast, Australia) and silver in 2022 (Birmingham, England)

He also had strong outings at the Oceania Championships in Auckland in February, lifting a combined weight of 414kg.

Liti said competing at these top competitions around the world reinforced his belief in himself.

“It’s crazy to think these are the people I watched on YouTube. The idea of me going to these competitions months in and months out against the best in the world, some I would beat, others would beat me.

“A lot of people nowadays whenever they see me would ask ‘Have you met this person or this person’.

“I just realised that I'm there. I’m at the same level as these guys, and I still have never given myself the recognition. It comes from being around these people, and seeing them on the regular.

"There’s one chance to do your best on the stage. When you compete, it’s on your own. And when you compete against others, you’re competing against yourself. It’s a crazy concept to understand.

“When I’m up there on the stage, it’s really nerve-racking. It really depends on who can perform under pressure, and who can’t.

“You have that one chance to do that lift, and it’s gotta be the best one, you gotta channel all your energy into that one lift. You gotta be ready, you gotta think you can do it because once you start doubting yourself, everything goes out the door.”

Liti heads to Nottingham, England on 18 July before joining the rest of the weightlifting team in Paris.

He begins his Olympic campaign on 10 August.