Cikamatana wins Fiji’s first Gold medal at weightlifting championships

17-year-old Eileen Cikamatana has won Fiji’s first ever gold medal at the world level in weightlifting.

Eileen won the gold medal in the Clean and Jerk lift and a Bronze Medal in the total lift.

Eileen was competing in the 69kg Weight Division at the International Weightlifting Federation’s World Youth Championship in Malaysia.

She lifted 93kg in the Snatch for 4th, 122kg for Clean and Jerk for Gold and 215kg for total for Bronze.

Cikamatana had earlier finished fourth in the snatch on 93kg, the same lift as China's third‑placed Jing Tang who was awarded Bronze due to a lighter bodyweight.

This is also the first ever Gold Medal at any World Championships in weightlifting for the Oceania Region.

Eileen hails from Tavia Village, Ovalau.

She started lifting in early 2015 with Joe Vueti at the High Performance Centre in Baba.

In 2015 at the Pacific Games as a 15-year-old, she challenged the many veterans of the sport in the 63kg weight category and made a strong impact that she is going to be a force to reckon with.

A few months later in September 2015, she won Gold for Fiji in the 63kg at the Commonwealth Youth Games in Apia, Samoa.

In late January this year, just a few weeks before Cyclone Winston, she was relocated to Noumea to train with Paul Coffa at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute and has made strong improvements on her strong foundations that she had already built at Levuka.

President of Weightlifting Fiji, Atma Maharaj says this is a very proud day for Fiji, Weightlifting Fiji, Fiji Sports and Oceania Weightlifting.

Five weightlifters are representing Fiji at the International Weightlifting Federation World Youth Championships and Commonwealth Championships which include Olympians Manueli Tulo and Apolonia Vaivai.