The weekend’s action saw four Cook Islands athletes in action, and while none were able to progress there were some positives for most of the Olympians.

Weightlfiter Luisa Peters held her own – and more – in an incredibly tough women’s 75-kilogram-and-over field on Sunday.

The teenager successfully lifted 82 kilograms in the snatch before a 100 kilogram effort in the clean and jerk. While she missed a 105 kilogram clean and jerk effort, her combined effort of 182 kilograms saw Peters secure a new personal best and ensured she avoided the bottom of the ladder.

That honour went to Ghanaian Alberta Boatema Ampomah, whose combined weight was 174 kilograms. Peters was rapt with her performances at the global showcase.

”So happy with my new PBS,“ Peters said.

”I just want to say a big meitaki maata to everyone for your good luck wishes, prayers, support and love.“

Chinese monster Lulu Zhou took out the gold medal with a world-record combined total of 333 kilograms, pipping Russian lifter Tatiana Kashrina by a single kilogram to stand atop the dais in a repeat of last year’s world championships finish.

Track athlete Patrick Tuara missed out on a personal best by 0.01 seconds after finishing last in his heat in the 100 metres sprint preliminaries.

Cheered on by fellow sprinter Patricia Taea – who missed a personal best by 0.04 seconds a day earlier – Tuara was slow out of the blocks and never recovered to post 11.72 seconds. The time was a shaving slower than his personal best of 11.71 seconds set at a meet in Cairns in June.

The final was later won by Jamaican sensation Usain Bolt with a sizzling time of 9.63 seconds. The Jamaican posted the second fastest time in history to secure back-to-back 100 metres sprint Olympic gold medals in style.

Meanwhile, Cook Islands sailor Helema Williams failed to overhaul a six-point deficit to finish at the bottom of the field in the women’s Laser Radial event.

On the West Weymouth course, Williams finished second-last in the final two races, though a black flag that saw four sailors disqualified from the first race meant the Manihiki sailor finished in 36th.

While Virgin Islands sailor Mayumi Roller finished behind Williams in both races, it wasn’t enough for the Cook Islands flagbearer to avoid finishing at the foot of the table.

”Thanks to everyone that supported Helema at the Olympics, it was certainly a great experience for the whole team,“ Williams’ coach Ben Paton said.

”I am very proud of Helema for an outstanding effort at a young age over the past five months, a true sign of good things to come to her in 2016“.

In the medal race it was 2011 world championships runner up Lijia Xu who secured gold with a classy first-place finish to secure the gold medal.

Josh Utanga has three days to focus on the second of his events after finishing dead last in the K1 1000 metres at Eton Dorney.

A sluggish Utanga limped through the course before finishing in a disappointing time of 4:32.064.

The severity of the time was emphasised when seventh placed finisher, Italian canoeist Maximilian Benassi, finished almost a minute ahead of Utanga.

The Cook Islands representative has two more days to prepare for the shorter, sharper K1 200 metres race that begins at 11.30pm on Thursday (CIT).

Racing in the third heat, Utanga’s race will be the final act of the Olympics for the Cook Islands unless he makes the semifinals of the event that are scheduled to take place just after midnight on Friday morning (CIT).

Fellow canoeist Ella Nicholas was the Cook Islands’ first Olympian to bow out of the London showcase. She has since been joined by Tepaia Payne (men’s 50 metres freestyle), Celeste Brown (women’s 50 metres freestyle), Taea (women’s 100 metres sprint preliminaries), Tuara, Peters and Williams.