Australia’s Scerri wins heptathlon gold, PNG’s Boafob claims silver

Australian teenager Mia Scerri built on her day one lead in the Sol2023 Pacific Games women’s heptathlon to claim gold at the end of the event on Tuesday at Honiara’s National Stadium.

After winning three of the four events on Monday, 18-year-old Scerri won two out of three on Tuesday – the long jump (6.19 metres) and the 800m (finishing in 2 minutes, 24.20 seconds) – for an unassailable lead.

Papua New Guinea’s Edna Boafob performed well and consistently to claim silver, while Tahiti’s Timeri Lamorelle collected bronze.

Scerri ended with 5624 points, Boafob got 4606 points and Lamorelle finished with 4109 points.

“It was good to have a strong day one and bring the momentum into day two,” Scerri told the Pacific Games News Service.

“It was a tough conditions out there, really humid and warm, but it was great competing with these girls and I had a great time out there.”

Scerri also praised the fans at Honiara’s National Stadium.

“It is an amazing atmosphere. The locals get amongst (support) not only for their Solomon Islands athletes but every country, they were all screaming out for us so it was great out there.”

Scerri thanked her coach Darren Clark, parents, and her friends, family and supporters back in Australia.

“I would be happy to come back and do it all over again and have a great time,” she enthused.

Silver medallist Boafob, who won bronze in this event at the Samoa 2019 Pacific Games, told the Pacific Games News Service: “It means a lot to be here, because the last few weeks I had a foot injury but I tried to focus and work hard to get a medal for PNG.”

“I came here expecting the gold but it’s alright. One thing about athletics is that it is a one medal sport, not like basketball and football. You have to train a lot and give your best so that you can win a medal for your country.”

Solomon Islands’ Julian Sosimo showed great improvement compared to her first day, winning the javelin 800g event with a 34.04m throw.

She revealed to the Pacific Games News Service that, much like her surprise silver medal in Monday’s women’s pole vault (which she had only tried three times before competing), she had not trained in any depth in most of the heptathlon events either.

“The difference between yesterday and today’s performance is that I have not learned any of the other events, only javelin and I believe that is why I did well in that today.

“Even javelin I only prepared for a week before the Games, but I am happy that I did very well today.”

By Meleseini Tufui, Amanda Su’ainiu and Helen Palmer, Pacific Games News Service