By Everest Hala
Tonga's young track and field athletes continued their strong showing at the 2026 Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin, with several medal-winning performances across sprint, hurdles and field events, day four.
Eighteen-year-old athlete 'Ofa Tuifua broke the Tongan Open Record in the women’s 400m hurdles, clocking 1 minute 6.39 seconds to claim silver in the under-20 final.
The runner Mounga Leao secured gold in the men’s under-20 400m hurdles, adding to Tonga’s success on the track at the regional championships in Australia’s Northern Territory.
In the sprint events, Hunter Jahnke claimed silver in the men’s under-20 100m final, while Tiulupe Tali finished fourth in the girls’ under-16 100m final.
Matthias Foliaki also impressed, claiming bronze in the boys’ under-16 100m final after competing in a 10-runner track.
In the field events, Penisimani Taeiloa dominated the men’s under-20 shot put competition, taking gold with a throw of 18.51 metres.
The young Tongan athletes are demonstarting promising potential among top athletes from across the Pacific region and are working well towards future international competitions including the Commonwealth Games and World Athletics Championships.
