By Xinhua,
Wellington : The tiny Pacific island nation of Nauru will send only one athlete, weighlifter Itte Detenamo, to contest at the Beijing Olympics next month.
This decision was made by the Nauru Olympic Committee Tuesday, following a final trial test held at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in Noumea, New Caledonia, between Nauru’s Yukio Peter 77kg category and Detenamo 105+kg category.
Both athletes are International Olympic Committee (IOC) scholars. Detenamo’s total was 387 kg with a snatch of 175 kg and a clean and jerk of 212 kg. Yukio Peter’s total was 330kg with a snatch of 140 kg and a clean and jerk of 190 kg.
Detenamo is the 2007 South Pacific Games triple gold medallist and competed at the 2004 Olympic Games placing 14th in the 105+kg category. He also won a bronze medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.
Nauru qualified at the Oceania Olympic qualification event held in New Zealand in March this year. Nauru had three lifters in 2004 at the Athens Olympics (two males and one female).
Peter, who finished eighth in Athens in the 69kg category and won a silver medal in the clean and jerk at the 2005 World Championships, has had in the last couple of years a series of disappointments which have culminated in missing out on this year’s Olympic Games.
But the Nauru Olympic Committee will still take him to the Olympics as an official to assist his team mate Detenamo’s.