Samoa’s Opeloge to get silver from 2008 Games

SAMOA – Samoa weightlifter Ele Opeloge is set to win an Olympic silver medal after two competitors failed doping tests from the 2008 Beijing Games.

Opeloge finished fourth in the women’s over-75kg division in 2008 – one kilogram shy of the bronze medal winner.

But a re-analysis of samples from eight years ago has found the silver medallist, Olha Korobka from Ukraine, and the bronze medallist, Mariya Grabovetskaya from Kazakhstan, tested positive for banned substances.

They are among 15 weightlifters to be provisionally suspended for failing the International Olympic Committee tests. They have the option of taking their cases to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Samoa Weightlifting Federation president Jerry Wallwork, who was Opeloge’s coach in Beijing, said it was fantastic news.

“It’s come eight years late –we’ve lost the glory – but still a medal is a medal and all credit must be given to Ele Opeloge for that,” he said.

“Automatically she gets bumped up to a silver medal and we just have to wait for the official confirmation and the official advice but it’s there – the two girls are positive – so it’s great news and fantastic news for Samoa.”

Opeloge represented Samoa at the Beijing and London Olympics, won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi and silver at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

If a final ruling awards her the silver medal, Samoa will join fellow Pacific island nation Fiji, which won its first Olympic medal in Rio earlier this month, on the all-time medal board.

It will also rewrite Pacific sporting history with Tongan boxer Paea Wolfgramm having claimed the honour of being the Pacific’s only Olympic medal winner from 20 years ago in Atlanta – a record that stood until the Fiji sevens won gold last week in Rio.

Opeloge must now be considered the Pacific’s second-ever Olympic medalist.

Wallwork said while he was happy about the outcome, he was also disappointed.

The lengthy process has taken away the glory of the moment that should have been celebrated in Beijing, he said.

“It’s fantastic for Ele and for us in the Pacific and Samoa that we finally have a medal,” Tuaopepe told the Samoa Observer.

“Ele deserves it for all her hard work. My disappointment is the fact that it has taken eight years for the results to be out and the event has lost its glory and the height of winning the medal.

“I am also disappointed for those countries that continue to use hard drugs which is not fair for us especially for Ele who did not get a fair play ground.”

He said the association is waiting for an official confirmation from the International Olympic Committee.

He suspects that will take a week or two and a member from the IOC will be in the country to make the presentation.

Tuaopepe is said he is excited about the news and said there will be a special ceremony to present the medal to Opeloge and for the country to celebrate. - PNC