Don Opeloge make moves in Olympic rankings

26 February 2024 – Don Opeloge has broken two records and made a significant move in the Paris 2024 rankings when he won the 102kg title for Samoa at the Oceania Championships in Auckland, New Zealand last weekend. Opeloge’s 175-215-390 was the best ever effort by any Samoan weightlifter on points.

Opeloge would have gone into eighth place in the Olympics rankings if he had not dropped the bar before the down signal on his final attempt at 220kg. He also missed his final snatch attempt on 180kg.

Opeloge, 24, also broke the Commonwealth and Oceania records in snatch and total as he moved level with the athletes ranked ninth and tenth on 390kg.

“I’m very proud of Don, a humble young man who has worked very hard,” said Samoa’s head coach and federation president Jerry Wallwork. “He was very unlucky with that 220. Now the target is 400 in Thailand. Let’s hope all goes well with the preparations.”

Wallwork was referring to the final Olympic qualifier, the IWF World Cup in Phuket which runs from March 31 to April 11.

Iuniarra Sipaia had another good result for Samoa in winning the women’s super-heavyweights. Sipaia looks bound for Paris after improving her best qualifying total by 1kg on 110-155-265. She is ninth in the rankings.

Samoa won seven other gold medals in the first three days of the Olympic qualifier in Manukau, New Zealand.