Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Sport: Fiji’s Iliesa Delana wins Pacific’s first ever Paralympic gold medal

Posted at 21:28 on 03 September, 2012 UTC

Fijian high-jumper Iliesa Delana has the Pacific’s first ever Paralympic gold medal in London this morning.

The 27 year old set a new regional record with a jump of 1.74m, to win Fiji’s first ever Olympic or Paralympic medal and just the second Paralympic medal by a Pacific athlete.

Delana finished on the same height as India’s Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda and Poland’s Lukasz Mamczarz but won gold by taking less jumps.

Samoa’s Leitu Viliamu threw a season best effort but still finished well off the pace in the final of the women’s shot put.

The 18 year old threw 5.32m with her third throw for a total of 257 points.

But she couldn’t match China’s Juan Yao who broke the world record to win the gold medal.

Meanwhile Vanuatu’s Marcel Houssimoli finished seventh in the final of the men’s 400m in a new season best time.