Miriama Taletawa secured a silver medal in the junior category of the women’s 76kg event at the 2024 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships, which took place at the Vodafone Arena in Suva on Thursday.
She successfully lifted 90kg in the snatch and 112kg in the clean and jerk categories, totaling 202kg. Taletawa expressed her joy when she received the silver medal, saying, “I felt happy and at the same time excited.”
Reflecting on her lifts, she described the nerves she faced competing against top contenders from across the Commonwealth. “When I went up for my first attempt, I was very nervous and scared. But after my first attempt and then a second with the same result, I was shocked by my score in the snatch category,” she remarked, noting that she didn’t expect her first lift to exceed her expectations.
Leading up to the tournament, her training with the Fiji team had been productive, even though results sometimes varied. “The atmosphere was perfect, and everything was good. The training with teammates had gone well, although on some days there would be good lifts or bad ones, but overall it went well.”
Looking to the future, Taletawa aims to prepare for upcoming competitions while focusing on enhancing her skills and becoming a more formidable lifter. She expressed gratitude to her family and team officials for their unwavering support throughout her weightlifting journey. “Thank you very much for the support and for always being there for me in the good times and bad,” she stated.
Taletawa is also currently the holder of the Fiji Sportswoman of the Year Award. The championship event will conclude today in the capital with the final set of competitions.