Fijian middle-distance runner
Isireli Naikelekelevesi (born 17 December 1976) is a Fijian former middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. He is the Fijian national record holder in that event.[1]
Born in Suva,[2] he represented his country at the Summer Olympics in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In 1996 he anchored a 4 × 400 metres relay team including Soloveni Nakaunicina, Henry Semiti and Solomone Bole, while in the latter two years he ran in the heats of the 800 m.[2] He competed in the 800 m heats at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and also appeared at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002 (reaching the semi-finals on his second attempt).[3] He ran for Fiji at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in both 1996 and 1998.[4]
His greatest successes came at regional level. He began with a 5000 metres bronze at the 1994 Oceania Junior Athletics Championships.[5] He won three back-to-back middle-distance doubles at the South Pacific Games (1995, 1999, 2003) and also claimed a 400 metres bronze and relay silver in 2003.[6] He remains the Games record holder in the 800 m. At the South Pacific Mini Games, he won a middle-distance double and took steeplechase bronze. The following edition in 2001 brought a sweep from 400 m to 1500 m and a fourth gold in the relay. At the 2005 edition he was edged out in the 1500 m by Samoa's Setefano Mika, but retained his 800 m and relay titles.[7]
At the Oceania Athletics Championships he was a mainstay of distance running for a decade. He won his first 5000 metres title at the 1996 Oceania Athletics Championships and also won silver in the 10,000 metres. He won the 800 m title in 2000, but was beaten into second by New Zealander Gareth Hyett in 2002. He was again 800 m runner-up in 2006 finishing behind Samoa's Aunese Curreen.[8]
In his last major international events he took two middle-distance silver medals behind Curreen at the 2007 Pacific Games and 2008 Oceania Athletics Championships.[9]
Personal bests
All information from All Athletics and IAAF[10][4]
International competitions
Year |
Competition |
Venue |
Position |
Event |
Notes
|
1996
|
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
|
Stellenbosch, South Africa
|
257th
|
Senior race
|
44:18
|
Olympic Games
|
Atlanta, United States
|
6th (h)
|
4 × 400 m relay
|
3:10.67
|
Oceania Athletics Championships
|
Townsville, Australia
|
1st
|
5000 m
|
15:54.65
|
2nd
|
10,000 m
|
35:27.94
|
1998
|
Commonwealth Games
|
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
|
5th (h)
|
800 m
|
1:50.66
|
1999
|
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
|
Belfast, United Kingdom
|
153rd
|
Senior race
|
51:11
|
127th
|
Short race
|
15:15
|
2000
|
Olympic Games
|
Sydney, Australia
|
7th (h)
|
800 m
|
1:49.61
|
Oceania Championships
|
Adelaide, Australia
|
1st
|
800 m
|
1:51.49
|
2001
|
World Championships
|
Edmonton, Canada
|
6th
|
800 m
|
1:50.74
|
2002
|
Commonwealth Games
|
Manchester, United Kingdom
|
8th (sf)
|
800 m
|
1:50.00
|
Oceania Championships
|
Christchurch, New Zealand
|
2nd
|
800 m
|
1:54.11
|
2004
|
Olympic Games
|
Athens, Greece
|
7th (h)
|
800 m
|
1:49.08
|
2006
|
Oceania Championships
|
Apia, Samoa
|
2nd
|
800 m
|
1:55.30
|
2008
|
Oceania Championships
|
Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands
|
2nd
|
800 m
|
1:53.48
|
2nd
|
1500 m
|
4:03.79
|
References
External links