Gold for Tania in 10,000m

HONIARA, Solomon Islands—Gold is the new black and it’s definitely Tania Tan’s color as she bagged yet another gold medal in her second race, the 10,000m event, in a packed National Sports Stadium last night.

This brings the NMI’s medal tally to 12 total—5 gold, 1 silver, and 6 bronze medals.

She really is a runner and a track star and she let everyone in the Pacific know it for the second time as the NMI flag and national anthem wafted through the air after coming from behind and bagging her second gold medal of the Games.

Behind in the first few laps of the 25-lap race, Tan was in a tight-knit pack of four to five runners as New Caledonia’s Deborah Kaboer—who was bronze in the 5,000m race—held steadfast in the lead. However, Tan put her running into sixth gear in the last half and overtook everyone ahead of her.

Official times were unavailable at press time, but according to Team NMI and Northern Marianas Athletics officials, Tan timed in at sub 40-minutes and defeated 13 other runners entered in the longest race in Day 3 of the track and field event.

The 22-year-old couldn’t contain her emotions after she was interviewed by the press and was hugged by Team NMI chef de mission Nick Gross.

In an interview with media, she said how she somehow managed to continue even as she ran with a side-stitch not even a mile into the race. She said, “It was really painful. I was like ‘oh my God, I’m not even one-fourth done.’ I don’t even think I was even a mile in, but I said, ‘no, you have to push through!’ and I eventually kept going, which is good—and I ended up coming in first somehow.”

On how she felt after her 10,000m race just a couple days after her first gold in the 5,000m race, she exclaimed, “I’m tired. And it doesn’t feel good! But I think that’s the adrenaline really helping—and obviously the crowd, it was crazy. I don’t know if they were cheering for me or Diana or the other Solomon Islands runner, but I felt like they were cheering for me, so I’ll just take it; definitely really tired now.”

She said she also did not expect to win gold again as she had just run the 5,000m two night ago and that Dianah Matekali from Solomon Islands didn’t run it, but Tan just gave it all she got as she had nothing to lose. “I just came out here and gave it all I got and it somehow all just worked out,” she said.

She added, “I’m not complaining about the Solomon Islands it is like this because it’s the Pacific Islands. They have limited resources—even Saipan, but it is really hot in the rooms, the mattresses are like rock, but I have to think that it’s not only you who’s experiencing that—everyone else is—unless you book a hotel which I don’t think anyone did.”

About representing the NMI, she said it felt “really good. I honestly didn’t know if I could come because I am still in college, and it is almost finals week. I literally have to go back next week, and I have a presentation on the day I arrive, and I haven’t even started yet. I don’t know what to do, but this was totally worth it. I’m so glad that I came.”

Her advice to young athletes, she said, “For all those girls and men who think they’re not good enough, don’t give up—please. You’ll get there, just keep persevering.”

As for the CNMI flag being up for the second time, she said, “It’s going to feel so surreal once I’m up there. I might just start crying this time.” She then thanked everyone back home and said, “I hope I made you guys proud.”

Sweet revenge in beach volleyball

NMI beach volleyball duo Logan Mister and Andrew Johnson bagged a sweet three-set victory over Vanuatu last night.

It was a tough matchup from the opening serve, but Mister and Johnson held on to win, 23-21, 20-22, 15-12, and got the sweet revenge more than a year after coming second against the same team in the 2022 Pacific Mini Games in the CNMI.