Fiji’s long-distance champion Yeshnil Karan delivered an impressive performance at the New Zealand Athletics Championships, finishing fourth in the men’s 3,000 metres steeplechase with a time of 9 minutes and 21.98 seconds.
Karan narrowly missed the podium in a competitive race, which was among the opening events of his 2026 competition season, while also managing a niggling foot pain.
His steeplechase performance came less than 14 hours after competing in the 1,500 metres final, where he clocked 3 minutes and 52.99 seconds to finish eighth. This time is the third-fastest 1,500 metres performance of his career and just two seconds outside his personal best.
These performances were achieved despite a disrupted pre-competition phase.
Training over the past six weeks has been affected by flooding and wet conditions in Yaladro, Tavua, forcing Karan to train on unsuitable roads.
His performances also earned him gold medals in the Polynesian Track and Field Championships, which were integrated into the New Zealand Athletics Championships programme.
Reflecting on the championships, Karan says he was grateful for the opportunity to compete and gain valuable racing experience.
He says the trip to New Zealand has been successful and memorable, and despite limited preparation and dealing with foot pain, he was able to compete in two events and run close to his personal best in the 1,500 metres.
Karan adds that he is grateful for the opportunity and is looking forward to the next challenge.
The championships also saw encouraging performances from fellow Team Fiji athletes.
Sixteen-year-old Sera Nasilivata finished second in the women’s 100 metres in 12.49 seconds, while 20-year-old Ratu Penaia Ramasirai also finished second in the men’s 100 metres in 11.00 seconds in the Polynesian Championships division.
Karan thanked Athletics New Zealand for the invitation to compete and acknowledged the continued support of Oceania Athletics and Athletics Fiji in enabling the opportunity.
The three athletes will now shift their focus to the next phase of their international competition programme as they prepare for the Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin in May and the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.
Karan and Nasilivata achieved the Commonwealth Games qualifying standards during the championships in New Zealand.
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