Kaitinano Mwemweata

Kaitinano Mwemweata is an I-Kiribati athlete. She was the first person ever to compete for Kiribati at the Olympic Games, when she represented her country at the 100 metre sprint in Athens in 2004. [ [http://www.usatoday.com/sports/columnist/lopresti/2004-08-19-lopresti-runner_x.htm "Small step at Olympics is giant leap for tiny island nation"] , Mike Lopresti, USA Today, August 19, 2008] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/olympics_2004/3913265.stm "Kiribati's Olympic adventure"] , Andrew Fraser, BBC, August 3, 2004]

Mwemweata finished seventh out of eight in her heat, achieving a personal best of 13.07. [ [http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/athens2004/track_field/results?day=20 Track & field results] ]

She was due to represent Kiribati again at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in the 200 metre sprint [ [http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-08/05/content_8972570.htm "Kiribati sends three athletes to Beijing Olympics"] , Xinhua, August 5, 2008] , but had to withdraw after contracting tuberculosis. She was undergoing treatment at the time of the Games. [ [http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2334332.htm?tab=sport "Kiribati athletes ready for Olympic competition"] , ABC Radio Australia, August 9, 2008]

She won gold in the long jump at the Micronesian Championships, in Koror in 2003. [ [http://www.gbrathletics.org/ic/micc.htm Micronesian Championships] ] She also took part in the World Athletics Championships in Edmonton in 2001. [ [http://www.todor66.com/athletics/world/2001/Women_200m.html Edmonton 2001] ]

At the Kiribati National Games of 2006, Mwemweata won a bronze medal in the shotput event, a silver medal in the high jump, and four gold medals in long jump, the 100 metre sprint, the 200 metre sprint and the triple jump. [ [http://www.sportingpulse.com/assoc_page.cgi?c=2-3615-0-0-0&a=MTAL Kiribati National Games: Athletics] ]

References