Rainibogi bags a bronze in IWF Grand Prix in Qatar

Fiji’s weightlifter, Taniela Rainibogi, has become the first lifter from Fiji to win a medal at a global competition after winning bronze in the men’s 109kg at the IWF Grand Prix in Qatar.

Rainibogi improved his best snatch by 5kg, clean and jerk by 18kg and total by 23kg in finishing third behind Dadash Dadashbayli from Azerbaijan.

He would have been second but for a career-best lift of 219kg by Bekdoolot Rasulbekov from Kyrgyzstan, which won clean and jerk gold and silver in total.

Nineteen days ago, he won gold in the Solomon Islands at the Pacific Games, which doubled up as the Oceania Championships.

Rainibogi, who weighed in at 107.9kg, will drop to the Olympic weight for his last two qualifiers in New Zealand and Thailand next year.

 Source: International Weightlifting Federation