“Cikamatana’s Olympic Journey Culminates”, Eileen Cikamatana, originally from Fiji, has faced numerous challenges on her journey to qualify for her first Olympics. However, she successfully secured her spot for the Paris Olympics over the weekend. Despite the obstacles, Cikamatana is resolute in her determination to compete at the highest level and aims to clinch a medal in the weightlifting competition.
As a teenage prodigy, Cikamatana made waves by winning a gold medal for Fiji at the Commonwealth Games in 2018. However, internal turmoil within Fiji’s weightlifting community prompted her to make the decision to switch allegiances and represent Australia. This significant move allowed her to continue pursuing her passion for weightlifting and ultimately led her on the path to competing at the Olympics.
Unfortunately, she made the decision too late to qualify for the Tokyo Games but she will now get her chance to become an Australian Olympian after being named in the 81kg class for Paris on Sunday.
“The Olympics is the biggest goal of any athlete,” the bubbly 24-year-old told Reuters earlier this year.
“It’s every athlete’s dream to be at the Olympics and to be a podium finisher is the greatest goal that anyone could look at. That’s what we’re going for.”
Cikamatana’s hometown of Levuka was for a long time the home of Fijian weightlifting but she was reluctant to take up the sport when first approached by coach Joe Vueti.
“Back in 2012 when I was first asked if I wanted to do weightlifting, I said ‘no, it’s a men’s sport’,” Cikamatana recalled.
“He said ‘no, my niece is competing at the 2012 Olympics in London’. So I stayed up in early morning just to watch her compete and that kind of changed my mind.
