Weightlifters smash records at Pacific Mini Games

Pacific weightlifters are well placed for next year's Commonwealth Games, with record smashing feats at the Pacific Mini Games in Vanuatu.

Among the outstanding stars at the Vanuatu Games is 17-year-old Samoan weightlifter Fegaiga Stowers, who set a new Commonwealth record in the women's 90kg class by lifting 108kg in the snatch, 131kg in the clean-and-jerk for a 239 kg total.

Papua New Guinea's Stephen Kari secured all three gold medals in the men's 93kg category by lifting 155kg in the snatch and 195kg in the clean-and-jerk.

International weightlifting referee Lilly Coffa, a trainer at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia, says the athletes are ready for the Commonwealth Games.

"Vanuatu was an outstanding success for the sport of weightlifting. We had quite a few records broken, Pacific Games and Oceania records," she says.

"It was a world class event in weightlifting."

New Caledonia lead the medals tally with 47 gold followed by Papua New Guinea with 31 and Fiji who finished with 23 gold.