Pacific Games 2023: Solomon Islands and their most notable Olympians
As the Solomon Island gears up to host the Pacific Games for the first time, Olympics.com takes a look at some of the country's most notable Olympic athletes.
Solomon Islands will host just the second major sporting event in its history when it welcomes the 2023 Pacific Games for the first time, 42 years after it hosted the inaugural Pacific Mini Games.
The island nation will play host to athletes from across Oceania from 19 November–2 December, and will hope for a long-lasting sporting legacy to come from a successful event.
Indeed, although the Solomon Islands had participated in the Pacific Games since its inception in 1963, both during its time as a British colony and since gaining independence in 1978, the nation didn't make its Olympic debut until the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games. Its National Olympic Committee enjoyed its first full year of recognition the year prior, in 1983.
Since LA '84, the Solomon Islands has never sent more than four athletes to any single Olympic Games. To mark the country hosting the Pacific Games for the first time, we look at three of the most notable Solomon Island Olympians, and the country's Olympic links.
The Solomon Islands' first Olympian: Leslie Ata
Solomon Islands sent a team of three competitors to Los Angeles in 1984: two track athletes, Johnson Kere and Charlie Oliver, and weightlifter Leslie Ata.
Ata would have the distinction of becoming the first Solomon Islander Olympian, competing two days before Kere and Oliver ran in the heats of their events.
He finished 16th of 19 competitors in the 67.5kg event, but was not part of the four-strong Solomon Islands team that went to Seoul 1988. Ata made his second Olympic appearance at Barcelona 1992, the only Solomon Islander participating at that Games.
Competing in the 75kg, Ata finished 29th of 34 athletes.
After his competition days, Ata transitioned to coaching before becoming the national weightlifting federation president.
The first Solomon Islands Olympian to progress at the Games: Tony Lomo
At London 2012, Tony Lomo competed in the men's 60kg category in judo. Lomo was the highest-ranked judoka in his weight category from Oceania not already qualified, and earned a spot in London on merit.
There, he proved he deserved that chance, becoming the first – and to date only – Solomon Islander to make it past the first hurdle in his or her event, excluding finals-only events.
Lomo defeated Neuso Sigauque of Mozambique in the round of 32, reaching the last 16 at the Olympic Games before losing to eventual fifth-place finisher Sofiane Milous of France.
Solomon Islands' Commonwealth Games medallist: Jenly Tegu Wini
Jenly Tegu Wini became the first Solomon Islander to be the country's Opening Ceremony flagbearer at consecutive Olympic Games, earning the honour at both London 2012 and Rio 2016.
The weightlifter, who has won multiple Oceanian weightlifting championships gold medals, finished 15th in her 58kg weight category both years.
But, more notably, Tegu Wini obtained a remarkable medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Australia, in her last Commonwealth Games – the Solomon Islands' first and only Commonwealth Games medal in history.
Jenly Wini competing at Rio 2016
Solomon Islands and other multi-sport events
While the country has never won a medal at the Olympic Games, it can boast one Commonwealth Games medal – Wini's – and more success in the regional events.
Solomon Islands has won 165 medals, including 28 gold, in the Pacific Mini Games – which it has also hosted once, the inaugural event in 1981. At the full Pacific Games, in which it has participated in every edition except in 1987, the country can claim 163 medals – 19 gold – in its history.