Fiji Paralympian Naibili Vatunisolo achieved a remarkable feat by setting a new Oceania record with a shot put throw of 9.19 meters at the Paris Paralympic Games held at Stade de France last Thursday. Upon her arrival at Nadi Airport yesterday, Vatunisolo expressed her surprise, stating, “I was shocked when they told me that I had set the new Oceania record.”
She explained that her expectations were low due to the rainy conditions that made the shot put slippery. “It was tough because it was a combined class – F42, F44, and F64. There were 15 of us and I came 10th; I could have done better if it was not for the rain,” she reflected. Despite the harsh weather, Vatunisolo accepted the challenge, saying, “Although it was raining, the game had to go on.”
Her fellow athlete, Selina Seau, finished the competition in 14th place. Vatunisolo’s previous personal best was 9.05 meters. The F42-44 classification is designated for athletes with lower limb deficiencies who compete without prostheses, while the F61-64 class is for those competing with prostheses.
Vatunisolo shared her plans for the future, mentioning, “It has been a long session of trainings and competitions, and I hope to take a few weeks off before I resume training in preparation for the 2025 World Championship and the Palau Mini Games.” She expressed hope for increased local competition to enhance performance, stating, “There is hardly any competition; if there were more, we could be setting more records.”
Earlier this year, Vatunisolo won a gold medal in the women’s shot put Ambulatory Para Category with a score of 77.75 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva. Additionally, she won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and another bronze at Sols23 with a throw of 7.97 meters.