Toako breaks national javelin record at US meet

SHARON Toako set a new Papua New Guinea national record for the javelin on Saturday with a throw of 48.60m at Colorado State University, Pueblo, improving by 50cm the previous record set by Iammo Launa in Port Moresby in 2001.
The Pomio girl had signalled her intentions the previous week with a throw of 46.89m and now has her sights set on throwing over 50m.
“This makes Sharon a contender for the Pacific Games gold medal next year,” said Athletics PNG president Tony Green, “as she was only a metre behind New Caledonia’s Linda Selui in winning silver at the recent Mini Games in Vanuatu.”
Selui has been competing for over 20 years and former Athletics PNG statistician Bob Snow said there were no signs of a clear replacement for her in the New Caledonia system, which produced a lot of good throwers.
National records were broken in 10 different field events by PNG’s athletes last year — six for the men and four for women.
Meanwhile, Toako has another of Launa’s national records in her sights and that is the discus mark of 38.54m set in Port Moresby in 1993.
A throw of 37.51m on Sunday was an improvement of over 3m on her personal best.
Her New Mexico Highlands University teammate Annie Topal is also showing good form in her main event of triple jump with consistent performances this season in the 12.60m range.
Over in Texas, Poro Gahekave is also showing good form, with a personal best of 4min 45.05 seconds in the 1500m in Abilene on March 24 and another PB in the 3000m steeplechase of 11min 28.66 secs last Saturday at Texas State University in San Marcos.
Over in Minnesota, Afure Adah had her last competition before heading for the Commonwealth Games at the Gold Coast, clocking 12.00 seconds in the 100m and 24.98 in the 200m.