Toua determined for Olympics despite missing out in the qualification process

Oceania Weightlifting queen Dika Toua remains optimistic for the Paris Olympic Games in July this year despite narrowly missing out in the final qualification event.

Toua was among 32 athletes competing for one of the 12 coveted spots but fell short to her rivals Rosina Randafiarison of Madagascar and Australia’s Brenna Kean in the IWF World Cup in Thailand over the Easter period.

Toua, competing in the 49kg division, was sitting on a 166kg total as she walked to the platform at the ultimate qualification process, muscling a new total of 171kg.     

Papua New Guinea’s ‘Golden Girl’ kept her hopes alive of setting an Olympic record when she made her final attempt, however, her Madagascan opponent Randafiarison lifted a class above to settle at 172kg, securing the final ticket to the Olympics.

Toua, who will be 40 in June, was aiming to become the first weightlifter ever to compete at six Olympic Games only to miss out by an inch.

The Hanuabada native has had a glittering career and was the first PNG woman to attend five- Olympic Games, starting at Sydney in 2000, Athens (2004), Beijing (2008), London (2012) and in Tokyo three years ago.

“It’s been a great journey but it’s not finished yet, whatever happens for Paris,” she said.

“I’m going to Fiji in September for the Commonwealth Championships, and Fiji has the World Masters straight afterwards so I might as well try that too.

“Then I want to be at the Pacific Mini Games in Palau next year. I can’t stop. Weightlifting is my life,” Toua said.

Toua left Phuket yesterday and will arrive home on Friday before departing for Goroka in the Eastern Highlands to lift on Saturday in the Papua New Guinea national championships.

Toua still has a chance of going to Paris via a universality place. These six “wild card” invitations from the International Olympic Committee go to nations who do not qualify many athletes, in all sports, for the Olympic Games. Toua is among the 32 weightlifting applicants from 28 countries.

“I have faith that I will be in Paris,” Toua said.

The qualification process has been underway over the last 2 years and involves participation at 5 international events with athletes from across the world competing for the coveted 12 spots.