Guba retains title

 PACIFIC and Oceania weightlifting champion in the 69kg division Guba Hale was a proud woman after defending her title with a silver and two gold medals yesterday.

Hale came close to snatching a third gold after tussling with Samoan lifter Vanessa Lui in the clean and jerk. 

Both lifters failed their 111kg attempts but according to weightlifting rules, the lifter with the lowest bodyweight gets the medal so Lui, the lighter of the duo, was awarded the gold. 

Hale said she can now breathe easy having fulfilled her dream. 

“I am so proud and happy that four years of preparing for this event has paid off,” she said. 

“And I could not have done it alone and owe my success to the support of individuals who had been involved in this process.

 “I thank my former coach Douglas Mea and coach Paul Coffa for bringing us this far. I am thankful for the support of our sponsors Trukai Industries, the State and Papua New Guinea Olympic Committee,” she said. 

She said as the defending champion, she was not under much pressure even with the inclusion of Australian and New Zealand.

Guba said she was proud for contributing to the overall medal tally for PNG.

The 69kg category had nine lifters with two another PNG competitors besides Guba — Bernadette Igo and Melissa Oru — competing but missing out on medals.

Results: Snatch: Guba Hale (83 kg), Vanessa Lui (82 kg), Ruth Anderson Horrel (76 kg).

Clean and jerk: Vanessa Lui (105 kg), Guba Hale (105 kg), Ruth Anderson Horrel (100 kg).

Total: Guba Hale (188 kg), Vanessa Lui (187 kg), Ruth Anderson Horrel (176 kg).