Long wait over for NMI triathlete
After more than 20 years, Leo Wania gets to compete in the Pacific Games, again.
“The last time I participated in the Pacific Games was in 1999 when the event was hosted in Guam,” said Wania, who represented the NMI in the athletics competition of the then known as the 1999 South Pacific Games.
Wania raced in the 1,500 in the 11th edition of the quadrennial event when he just graduated from high school at the Marianas High School. This year or after more than two decades, Wania is back at the Pacific Games stage and this time will join the triathlon competition as the lone entry of the NMI to the event.
“I am so excited to be competing again in the Pacific Games in a different event. I joined the Pacific Mini Games last year on Saipan, but I know the competition in Solomons for the Pacific Games will have more athletes and will be tougher,” said Wania.
The triathlete was part of the NMI Team that won the bronze medal in the aquathlon event, teaming up with Heather Brook, Kathy Ruszala, and Isaiah Aleksenko. With him doing the solo triathlon aquathlon and triathlon races, Wania was very realistic with his goal, which is to have a strong finish and complete the Olympic distance course in triathlon. He will race on Nov. 29 and 30.
“I love the Olympic distance course (1.5m swim, 40K bike, and 10K run), it suits me better. However, the challenge will be the swim part, which will be done in the pool. I trained in the open water here, but I did buoy swims to somehow get ready for the pool course in Solomons,” said Wania.
Besides the NMI’s lone entry to the triathlon and aquathlon events, the two competitions will also have athletes from Fiji, Guam, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, and Tahiti.
Wania and the rest of Team Marianas left for Solomons via charter flight yesterday morning. Team Marianas’ participation in the 2023 Pacific Games is supported by Joeten Daidai Foundation, Triple J, Crowne Plaza Resort, IT&E, IP&E, Tan Siu Lin Foundation, Mobil, Tan Holdings, and McDonald’s of Guam & Saipan. (PR)
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