Nauru at the Commonwealth Games
Encyclopedia
Nauru has competed in five editions of the Commonwealth Games
to date, beginning in 1990
. This very small country, which had a population of just 9,872 at the time of the 2002 census, succeeded in winning at least two medals on each occasion, including at least one gold at every edition of the Games except in 2006
.
Nauru is renowned particularly for weightlifting
; all its medals in the Commonwealth Games have been achieved in that field. Apart from runners Frederick Cannon in 1994 and Aneri Canon in 1998, Nauru has only ever sent weightlifters to the Games.
To date, three Nauruans -Reanna Solomon
, Marcus Stephen
and Yukio Peter
- have won gold medals, and a total of eight Nauruans -Reanna Solomon, Marcus Stephen, Yukio Peter, Jalon Renos Doweiya, Ebonette Deigaeruk, Sheba Deireragea, Mary Diranga, and Itte Detenamo
- have won medals.
Nauru ranks nineteenth on the all-time medal tally of the Commonwealth Games
.
, Marcus Stephen
, who competed in only three events, all of them in weightlifting. He created a surprise by winning a medal in each of those events, including gold in the Men's 60 kg Snatch.
Stephen competed again
in 1994, along with weightlifter Gerard Jones and runner Frederick Cannon. Stephen won his country's only medals - three gold. In 1998, Nauru sent six weightlifters and a runner
to the Games, and Stephen again won his country's only medals - again, three gold.
In 2002, Nauru sent a team consisting solely in weightlifters
, including the first Nauruan women to represent their country at the Games. For the first time, Stephen failed to win a gold medal, but obtained three silver. Nauru won fifteen medals, ten of which were won by women, including two gold by Reanna Solomon
. Six Nauruan weightlifters, an astonishing proportion of the country's population, won medals at the 2002 Games.
In 2006
, Stephen did not compete. Nauru failed to win a gold medal for the first time, but weightlifters Sheba Deireragea and Itte Detenamo
obtained a silver and a bronze respectively.
In 2007, Marcus Stephen, Nauru's most successful sportsman, became President
of the Republic of Nauru. In 2008, he became President of the Oceania
Weightlifting Federation.
At the 2010 Games
in New Delhi
, India
, Yukio Peter
won Nauru's first gold medal winning the 77kg division in weightlifting with a new Games record of 333kg. It was the country's tenth gold medal in their history.
Commonwealth Games
The Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
to date, beginning in 1990
Nauru at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
Nauru was represented at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland by a single athlete, weightlifter Marcus Stephen - who would later become his country's President in 2007. The 1990 Games marked Nauru's first participation in the Commonwealth Games...
. This very small country, which had a population of just 9,872 at the time of the 2002 census, succeeded in winning at least two medals on each occasion, including at least one gold at every edition of the Games except in 2006
Nauru at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Nauru was represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by a team consisting purely of weight-lifters.-Medals:-Medalists:...
.
Nauru is renowned particularly for weightlifting
Powerlifting
Powerlifting is a strength sport. It resembles the sport of Olympic weightlifting, as both disciplines involve lifting weights in three attempts. Powerlifting evolved from a sport known as 'odd lifts' which followed the same three attempt format but used a wide variety of events akin to Strongman...
; all its medals in the Commonwealth Games have been achieved in that field. Apart from runners Frederick Cannon in 1994 and Aneri Canon in 1998, Nauru has only ever sent weightlifters to the Games.
To date, three Nauruans -Reanna Solomon
Reanna Solomon
Reanna Solomon, born December 16, 1981, in Meneng, is a Nauruan weightlifter. She was the first female Nauruan athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, and remains one of the only three Nauruans ever to have won a Commonwealth Games gold, the others being Marcus Stephen and Yukio...
, Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
and Yukio Peter
Yukio Peter
Yukio Peter is a weightlifter from Nauru.-2004:Yukio snatched 142.5kg and clean and jerked 165kg to place eighth at the 2004 Olympic Games in the Men's 69 kg division.-2008:...
- have won gold medals, and a total of eight Nauruans -Reanna Solomon, Marcus Stephen, Yukio Peter, Jalon Renos Doweiya, Ebonette Deigaeruk, Sheba Deireragea, Mary Diranga, and Itte Detenamo
Itte Detenamo
Itte Detenamo is a Nauruan weightlifter competing in the +105 kg category.Detenamo represented Nauru at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, finishing 14th in the men's 105+kg category...
- have won medals.
Medal tally
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 NauruNauru Nauru , officially the Republic of Nauru and formerly known as Pleasant Island, is an island country in Micronesia in the South Pacific. Its nearest neighbour is Banaba Island in Kiribati, to the east. Nauru is the world's smallest republic, covering just... |
10 | 6 | 11 | 27 |
Nauru ranks nineteenth on the all-time medal tally of the Commonwealth Games
All-time medal tally of Commonwealth Games
This page shows the all-time medal table for the Commonwealth Games. The table is updated as of 14 October 2010, the day the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi ended....
.
History
For its first participation in the Commonwealth Games, in 1990, Nauru sent only one representativeNauru at the 1990 Commonwealth Games
Nauru was represented at the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland by a single athlete, weightlifter Marcus Stephen - who would later become his country's President in 2007. The 1990 Games marked Nauru's first participation in the Commonwealth Games...
, Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen
Marcus Stephen was President of the Republic of Nauru from December 2007 to November 2011. In addition to the presidency, he held the offices of Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for the Nauru Phosphate Royalties Trust, Minister for Police, Prisons, & Emergency Services, and Minister for Public...
, who competed in only three events, all of them in weightlifting. He created a surprise by winning a medal in each of those events, including gold in the Men's 60 kg Snatch.
Stephen competed again
Nauru at the 1994 Commonwealth Games
Nauru at the 1994 Commonwealth Games was abbreviated NRU.The 1994 Games in Victoria, Canada marked Nauru's second participation in the Commonwealth Games. The small country was represented by three athletes: weightlifter Marcus Stephen, weightlifter Gerard Jones, and runner Frederick...
in 1994, along with weightlifter Gerard Jones and runner Frederick Cannon. Stephen won his country's only medals - three gold. In 1998, Nauru sent six weightlifters and a runner
Nauru at the 1998 Commonwealth Games
Nauru was represented at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur by a team consisiting in six weight-lifters and one runner, Aneri Canon. Marcus Stephen, who became President of Nauru nine years later, competed for the third time and won his country's only medals of the 1998 Games...
to the Games, and Stephen again won his country's only medals - again, three gold.
In 2002, Nauru sent a team consisting solely in weightlifters
Nauru at the 2002 Commonwealth Games
Nauru was represented at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester by a team consisiting solely of weight-lifters. Marcus Stephen, who would become President of Nauru five years later, competed for the fourth and last time...
, including the first Nauruan women to represent their country at the Games. For the first time, Stephen failed to win a gold medal, but obtained three silver. Nauru won fifteen medals, ten of which were won by women, including two gold by Reanna Solomon
Reanna Solomon
Reanna Solomon, born December 16, 1981, in Meneng, is a Nauruan weightlifter. She was the first female Nauruan athlete to win a Commonwealth Games gold medal, and remains one of the only three Nauruans ever to have won a Commonwealth Games gold, the others being Marcus Stephen and Yukio...
. Six Nauruan weightlifters, an astonishing proportion of the country's population, won medals at the 2002 Games.
In 2006
Nauru at the 2006 Commonwealth Games
Nauru was represented at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne by a team consisting purely of weight-lifters.-Medals:-Medalists:...
, Stephen did not compete. Nauru failed to win a gold medal for the first time, but weightlifters Sheba Deireragea and Itte Detenamo
Itte Detenamo
Itte Detenamo is a Nauruan weightlifter competing in the +105 kg category.Detenamo represented Nauru at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, finishing 14th in the men's 105+kg category...
obtained a silver and a bronze respectively.
In 2007, Marcus Stephen, Nauru's most successful sportsman, became President
President of Nauru
The President of Nauru is elected by Parliament from amongst its members. He is both the head of state and head of government of Nauru. Nauru's unicameral Parliament has 18 members, with an electoral term of 3 years. Political parties only play a minor role in Nauru politics, and there has often...
of the Republic of Nauru. In 2008, he became President of the Oceania
Oceania
Oceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
Weightlifting Federation.
At the 2010 Games
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events, making it the largest Commonwealth Games till date...
in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Yukio Peter
Yukio Peter
Yukio Peter is a weightlifter from Nauru.-2004:Yukio snatched 142.5kg and clean and jerked 165kg to place eighth at the 2004 Olympic Games in the Men's 69 kg division.-2008:...
won Nauru's first gold medal winning the 77kg division in weightlifting with a new Games record of 333kg. It was the country's tenth gold medal in their history.