Fiji Paralympian Naibili Vatunisolo achieved a remarkable milestone by setting a new Oceania record in shot put, throwing a distance of 9.19 meters at the Paris Paralympic Games held at Stade de France last Thursday.
Upon her return to Nadi Airport yesterday, Vatunisolo expressed her surprise, saying, “I was shocked when they told me that I had set the new Oceania record.” She noted the challenging conditions during the competition, stating, “I did not expect it because it was rainy and the shot put was slippery.”
Competing in a combined class that included F42, F44, and F64 athletes, Vatunisolo ranked 10th among 15 participants, suggesting she might have performed better without the rain. “Although it was raining, the game had to go on,” she added.
In the same event, fellow athlete Selina Seau finished in 14th place. Vatunisolo’s personal best prior to the competition was 9.05 meters. The classification system for her event included athletes with specific lower limb impairments, either competing without or with prosthesis.
Reflecting on her competition experience, Vatunisolo mentioned, “It has been a long session of trainings and competitions. I hope to take a few weeks off before I resume training to prepare for the 2025 World Championship and Palau Mini Games.” She emphasized the need for more local competitors to enhance performance, stating, “There is hardly 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 at the HFC Bank Stadium in Suva, achieving a total score of 77.75. She has also previously won a bronze medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, and secured another bronze at the Sols23 with a throw of 7.97 meters.