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Oceania Grand Prix start today
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Posted on Jun 20 2008
The 2008 Oceania Grand Prix kicks off today with 16 events lined up at the Oleai Track and Field.
By all indications, Oceania Athletics Association executive director Yvonne Mullins is already anticipating that Saipan will stage six terrific days of track and field events at the Oleai Sports Center.
Mullins and Tahiti OAA representative Titaua Maurin actually have been on Saipan since June 6 working with Dr. Kurt Barnes, Robin Eugenio-Sapong, and Rep. Ray Tebuteb from the local organizing committee to ensure a smooth start to the 2008 Oceania Championships.
Teams from Tahiti and New Caledonia were the first to arrive in the CNMI’s capital Thursday followed shortly by athletes from the Cook Islands, half of the Papua New Guinea team, two from Vanuatu, and one each from Samoa, Fiji, and Australia.
Flights from Cairns, Guam, Seoul, and Tokyo were also expected last night.
Meanwhile, the two Francophone teams—Tahiti and New Caledonia—spent yesterday sightseeing in the northern part of Saipan, Marpi.
The 2008 Oceania Grand Prix’s schedule today will have women’s high jump, women’s shot put, and men’s javelin throw all set at 5pm.
The women’s 1500 meter run is set at 5:30pm with the men’s 1500m run, men’s high jump, and women’s triple jump coming up 15 minutes later.
The women’s javelin throw, men’s shot put, and women’s 400m hurdles are also scheduled at 6pm, followed by the men’s 400m hurdles at 6:15.
Set at 6:30pm are the women’s 5000m run, the men’s 5000m run, and the men’s triple jump, while the women’s 100m sprint and the men’s century dash commence at 7pm and 7:15pm, respectively.
The Oceania Grand Prix squad is made up of 41 athletes representing 12 member federations of Oceania Athletics. They include, among others, Tonga’s Ana Po’uhila, Papua New Guinea star sprinter Mae Koime, her teammate Toea Wisil, and Aussie powerhouse Brendan Whelan.
