Wesley Roberts, Cook Islands golden swimmer is not just celebrating the number of medals he won so far, but the fact that he will be graduating soon. Losirene Lacanivalu reports from the Pacific Games in Honiara.

Roberts, who won Cook Islands first gold medal in the men’s 400-metre freestyle, leaving Tahiti’s Nael Roux with silver and New Caledonian John-William Dabin with bronze, was surprised when he received his graduation email on Monday morning.

Roberts, who attended the University of Wollongong in Australia will be graduating with distinction in information technology after the completion of the Pacific Games.

Australia-based Roberts, who has maternal links to Atiu also won a bronze medal in the men’s 200m individual medley with a time of 2:09.81 on Monday night – a second medal in the bag.

Speaking to Roberts on Monday night, he said the last couple of hours had been special as he has been seeing a lot of messages on social media and posts online. He acknowledged his swim colleague Lanihei Connolly who won her first gold medal at her first Pacific Games on Monday night.

“It was her first Pacific Games and her first final, it is really, really cool for her to get a gold. I think all the prayers should go to her tonight.”
Roberts said Connolly has two more events while he has about four more this week.

 “We will do our best. We'll hopefully make everyone proud and that's the goal.”

Losirene Lacanivalu, reporting from Honiara, Solomon Islands.