By Eleanor Gee

Naturally gifted runner, Siueni Filimone (21), loved music growing up but when his teachers saw his talent on the track, he was chosen year after year to represent his primary and secondary schools at interschool sporting competitions eventually winning his way to representing Tonga at international events and now at Rio Olympics.

Siueni said he is happy to be in Rio and thinks it is a beautiful city.

“I haven’t met any famous athletes here yet but hopefully I will meet them at the opening tomorrow,” he told Matangi Tonga.

Siueni will represent Tonga in the 100m sprints on 14 August 2016 at 12.30am (NZ time).

“I hope to perform the best that I can here in Rio in my event.”

With regards to funding, Siueni said he received funds from the Olympics through the Tonga Amateur Sports Association (TASA) to get to Rio. He said he didn’t receive an Olympic Scholarship and there has been no mention of it to date.

Commonwealth Games

He set his personal best record at 10.72sec in the 100m at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014 and has been representing Tonga at various international events including the World Athletic Championships, Pacific Games, Oceania Championship and Pacific Mini-Games.

Siueni was born in Ha’apai, Tonga and began athletics in 2001 at the age of seven years.

He went to primary school at Fanga, Tongatapu then went back to the place of his birth Ha’apai to attend Taufa’ahau / Pilolevu College. He said while in Ha’apai, he really liked focusing on music instead of athletics. He soon returned to Tongatapu and attended Tupou College. His love for music saw him join the Tupou College Brass Band but he then turned his focus to running.

Tupou College Sports Master, ‘Isileli Tu’akoi told Matangi Tonga that in 2014, Siueni set the record for the 100m sprints at 10.91sec in the Senior Boys athletics at the intercollegiate sporting competition and it hasn’t been broken since.

“He has been winning gold medals for Tupou College in the 100m, 200m and relay events,” he said.

“The school is very proud of his achievements especially representing Tonga at the Rio Olympics.”

Siueni finished high school in 2014 and now works at Tupou College as a Science and Movement and Fitness teacher for forms 1 and 2.  He also helped as an assistant trainer at Tupou College during the intercollegiate sporting competition this year.