Champion lifter falters as sibling gets moment in limelight

 THE Pacific Games saw its first star fall as the weightlifting competition got underway yesterday.

Commonwealth Games champion Dika Toua failed to finish on top in her 53kg-weight class, allowing  main rival Australia’s Erika Yamakasi to take out the top prize.

In front of a packed Sir John Guise Indoor Stadium and a couple of hours after witnessing younger sister Thelma bag a golden treble in the 48kg division, Toua started her competition off ominously when she failed to lift 80kg in the snatch.

Toua could not hoist the weight above her head in her second attempt and despite the crowd willing her on, the 31-year-old could not muster the strength in her third attempt, sending most of the crowd into stunned silence.

 Yamakasi celebrated her win as many local fans made their way out of the venue in disbelief.

Attempts to speak to the gold medal favourite were unsuccessful as Toua was taken away by Team PNG medical staff a short while after the medal ceremony.

Toua and Yamakasi have been rivals since 2003, with the Australian finishing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games last year while Toua was awarded the gold after a Nigerian lifter was disqualified after failing a dope test.

Yamakasi said she had built a special relationship with Dika in their years of competing and was happy to get a win but understood her rival’s disappointment as well.  

With weightlifting’s first day of competition PNG won four gold from the Thelma (3) and Dika snaring a clean and jerk gold medal.

Results: Snatch – Erika Yamakasi, Australia, gold; Mary Kini Lifu, Solomon Islands silver; Kimberly Taguacta, Guam, bronze; Clean and jerk – DikaToua, PNG, gold; ErikaYamakasi, silver; Mary Kini Lifu, bronze; Total – Erika Yamakasi, Australia, gold, Mary Kini Lifu, silver; Charlotte Moss, New Zealand, bronze.