Theo Piniau

Athletes graduate from US universities

Proud parents Graham and Alice Piniau flew to Texas for the big occasion at West Texas A&M University in Canyon, the same school from which Rellie Kaputin graduated last year.

Athletics PNG President Tony Green and athlete Annie Topal witnessed Gahekave’s graduation at Lubbock Christian University, which was on at the same time and the trio then visited the Piniau family in the afternoon.

​Toea Wisil back in country to promote HP athletes training

PNG Loop caught up with Wisil on her way to the domestic terminal to transit to Kokopo. Toea said she was invited by colleagues Betty Burua and Theo Pinau who were currently in Kokopo organising the event under the High Performance course to encourage young athletes  to participate in athletics.

The sprint queen was excited to be back in the country and showed a lot of enthusiasm when speaking about encouraging the young ones through the program when she visits schools in Kokopo as part of the program.

Three new national records set on long weekend

At the national championships in Lae, Toea Wisil ran a time of 11.36 seconds in the 100 metres race, taking 1/100th of a second off the time set by Mae Koime in Brisbane in March 2007.

In Jacksonville, Florida in the USA, Theo Piniau smashed Nelson Stone’s 200m record and became the first PNG athlete to run under 21 seconds as he won his race in a time of 20.97 seconds.

The performance catapulted Piniau ahead of Mowen Boino in the race for a spot on the team to Rio.

Three-way race for athletes for spot to Rio

They are three time Olympian and four time Pacific Games 400m hurdles Champion Mowen Boino, double Pacific Games 400m champion and London 2012 representative Nelson Stone and rising star in the 200m and 400m Theo Piniau.

Athletics PNG last year named the three contenders for this place and set out how the selection process will work.

The athlete selected will be the one who, by the PNG Olympic Committee deadline of June 19, has the best performance by reference to the IAAF scoring tables in Athletics.