Mataika Tuicakau
Medal record | ||
---|---|---|
Men's athletics | ||
Representing Fiji | ||
1950 British Empire Games | ||
1950 Auckland | Shot put | |
1950 Auckland | Discus throw |
Mataika Tuicakau was a Fijian track and field athlete who competed in the shot put and discus throw events.
Born on Tovu, Totoya on the Lau Islands of Fiji. Tuicakau was a tall athlete who excelled at throwing events.[1] He was the first Fijian to have success internationally in the sport of athletics.[2][3] At the 1950 British Empire Games he threw 14.64 m (48 ft 0 1⁄4 in) in the shot put to hold off England's Harold Moody and be declared the champion. He also claimed a silver medal in the discus behind Ian Reed of Australia, who broke the games record in the process.[4][5]
He was the first gold medallist for Fiji at the Commonwealth Games and remains their only athletics winner in the tournament's history.[6] The shot put national record of 15.48 m (50 ft 9 1⁄4 in) he set in Suva in 1951 stood for over 50 years.[7] He was the first entrant into the Fiji Sports Hall of Fame alongside rugby player Josefa Levula.[8]
International competitions
Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1950 | British Empire Games | Auckland, New Zealand | 1st | Shot put | 14.64 m |
2nd | Discus throw | 44.00 m |
References
- ↑ Charter Inductee 1990 Mataika Tuicakau - Athletics. Fox Sports Pulse. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Matthews, Peter (2012). Historical Dictionary of Track and Field. Scarecrow Press, pg. 81. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Rakoko, Kameli (2015-01-12). The priceless moment. The Fiji Times. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Commonwealth Games. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Games Results for Mataika Tuicakau. Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Fiji. Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Legends Mataika Tuicakau - Athletics (Fiji) Charter Inductee 1990 Mataika Tuicakau - Athletics. Oceania Sports Information Centre. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
- ↑ Fiji Sports Hall of Fame. Sporting Pulse. Retrieved on 2016-03-16.
External links
- Mataika Tuicakau profile at IAAF