Karalaini Koro of Suva Grammar School surprised the favourites yesterday when she stormed to victory in the senior girls 200m final at the Coca-Cola Games Suva Zone Two meet, holding off a late challenge from Lomary Secondary School’s Lusiana Lewasewa. The Kadavu-born sprinter crossed the line first at the Suva zone meet, celebrating with an outstretched arm and a pointed finger to the sky.
Koro, who hails from Nakasaleka in Kadavu, kept a steady pace around the bend and produced a strong home-stretch to move past her rivals and claim the title. Lewasewa — described at the meet as the Suva Zone Two blue-ribbon winner — finished second, with Koro’s win marking a notable upset in a closely contested final.
Emotional after the race, Koro credited her faith for the performance. “After this race, I really feel so happy and I would just like to thank the Lord for giving me the strength and without Him I wouldn’t be here today and to win this race,” she said. She admitted racing Lewasewa, a regular rival over the past few seasons, had made her nervous but that she focused on staying positive throughout the run.
The 200m success also continued Suva Grammar’s recent run in the event — Koro helped the school retain the winning title in the senior girls 200m after Claudie David won the same race at last year’s Suva Zone Two meet. Koro said the result came after “tough training and sacrifices,” and revealed she had limited preparation time, having only one week to ready herself after her school’s interhouse meet.
Koro now has her sights set on the next stage of the season. She said she is looking forward to competing at this year’s Coca-Cola Games, also known as the Fiji Finals, where zone victors and top performers from across the country meet for the national championships. Her victory at the Suva Zone Two meet will be closely watched as she steps up to face the country’s best sprinters.
Lusiana Lewasewa’s runner-up finish underlined the depth of competition in the Suva zone, while Koro’s upset offers a reminder of the emerging talents coming through school athletics in Fiji. Coaches and teammates at Suva Grammar are expected to build on this result as they prepare for the national finals.
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