Stade de France To Host Athletics

By this time next month, Athletics Fiji will know which  athlete will participate at the 2024 Olympic Games after the Oceania Athletics Championship in June.

That athlete will get the opportunity to showcase his or her God give talent at the iconic Stade de France, the national stadium of France.

Its seating capacity of 80,698 makes it the largest stadium in France. The stadium is was used by the French national football and rugby union teams for international competitions, making it one of only two stadia in the world to have hosted both a Football World Cup final and a rugby union World Cup final.

Team Fiji Athletics has been part of the Olympic stage since1956.

Mesulame Rakuro was selected to represent Team Fiji in the discus throw at the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.

Four years later at the 1960 Olympics in Rome, Italy, Mesulame was joined by 100m and 200m sprinter, Sitiveni Moceidreke.

Javelin thrower Viliame Liga would be selected for Team Fiji at the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City, Mexico.

At the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany, athletics Samuela Yavala participated in the 400m and Long Jump event while teammate Usaia Sotutu would participate in the 5000m, 10,000m and 3000m Steeplechase events.

Four years later in 1976 at the Montreal, Quebec, Canada Olympic Games, Team Fiji would select its first ever female athlete in MiriamaTuisorisori-Chambault who participated in the 100m Hurdles, Long Jump and Pentathlon events. Miriama was joined by Tony Moore who competed in the 100m,200m, 400m and Long Jump event.

Miriama would be selected for her second Olympics in Moscow, Soviet Union, in present-day Russia in 1984 competing in 100m Hurdles, 100m and200m races. She was joined by Inoke Bainimoli who ran the 100m and 200m event, Joe Rodan who competed in the 400m and Albert Miller who took part in the Decathlon.

At the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, Team Fiji would send one of its biggest athletics team. Sprinter Maloni Bole would compete inthe 100m and 200m event, Joe Rodan would make his 2nd Olympic appearance in the400m and 400m Hurdles event.

Albert Miller would also make his 2nd appearance competing the Decathlon and 110m Hurdles event.

Lui Muavesi would also make his 1st Olympic Games in the800m event along with Moses Zarak Khan in the 1500m event and Binesh Prasad who competed in the 10000m and marathon event with Davendra Singh in the 3000Steeplechase.

Sainiana Tukana would be the only female athlete in the team competing in the 100m Hurdles and Heptathlon.

Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain would host the 1992 Olympic Games and will see Team Fiji athletics send another big squad which featured three returning Olympians in 5000m and 3000m Steeplechase Davendra Singh,10000m and marathon runner Binesh Prasad, and 110m Hurdler and Decathlete Albert Miller.

Gabriele Qoro would compete in the 100m and Long Jump event while teammate Apisai Baibai would participate in the 200m and 400m event.

Autiko Daunakamakama would participate in the 400m Hurdlers while lone female Vaciseva Tavaga would compete in the 100m and 200m event.

The 1996 Atlanta, Georgia, United States Olympic Games would see Team Fiji feature relay teams for the 1st time.

Solomone Bole, Jone Delai, Henry Rogo and Soloveni Nakaunicina would make up the 4 x 100m relay team while Soloveni, Henry, and Solomone would be joined by Isireli Naikelekelevesi to make up the 4 x 400mrelay team.

Jone Delai would feature in the 100m event while USA based Joe Naivalu would compete in the 110m Hurdles.

Rachel Rogers would be the lone female taking part in the100m hurdles event.

In the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Team Fiji athletics was represented by 800m runner Isireli Naikelekelevesi in his 2ndOlympic Games.

In 2004 Athens, Greece Isireli would make his third appearance at an Olympic Games in the 800m event but would be joined by Makelesi Bulikiobo who competed inthe 400m event.

Makelesi Bulikiobo would make her second appearance at the 2008 Beijing, China Olympic Games in the 400m event and she was joined by NikoVerekauta who also participated in the 400m event.

Javelin thrower Leslie Copeland was joined by 400m sprinter Danni Alakija at the 2012 London, England Olympic Games.

Leslie made his 2nd Olympic appearance at the Rio, Brazil Olympic Games in 2016 where he was joined by 100m sprinter Sisilia Seavula.

At the 2020 Tokyo, Japan Olympics Ratu Banuve Tabakaucorowould represent Team Fiji in the 100m event.

Team Fiji athletics is yet to win a medal in the sport at an Olympic Games.

At the moment, Athletics Fiji's highest ranked athlete according to its international body would stand the best chance of representing Fiji to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

Athletics at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris are scheduled to run on 1 to 11 August 2024, featuring a total of 48 medal events across three distinct sets: track and field, road running, and racewalking.

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