RYAN READY TO STRIKE GOLD AGAIN FOR PNG
June 1: Defending Commonwealth Games gold medallist and 2008 Olympic finalist Ryan Pini is again priming himself to spearhead the Papua New Guinea team to this year's XIVth Commonwealth Games in New Delhi...IAN HANSON is the official Oceania correspondent for the FINA Aquatics Magazine.
The Queensland-based Pini ensured a shut-out of Australian gold when he won PNG's first swimming gold medal in the 100m butterfly at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne - leaving former world record holder Michael Klim and New Zealand's Moss Burmester in his wake.
Pini, 28, has been named in a nine-strong PNG squad, under the direction of head coach Liz Wells, for this year's 8th Oceania Championships in Apia, Samoa from June 21-26.
The Oceania Championships will act as the final selection trials for the team to go to Delhi, but Pini will again be the first swimmer selected.
Pini and 23-year-old Anna-Liza Mopio Jane both train under Rick Van der Zant at Yeronga Park in Brisbane while their team mates all work out under Wells at the Sir Donald Cleland 50m pool in Port Moresby. All swimmers are members of the Boroko Swim Club based in the National Capital District affiliated to PNG Swimming Inc.
The full PNG team for the Oceania Championships is: MEN - Ryan Pini, Ian Nakmai, Adam Ampa'oi, Nathan Ampa'oi, Danny Pryke, Peter Pokawin, Jenixon Lim; WOMEN - Anna-Liza Mopia Jane, Judith Meauri. Coach: Liz Wells. Manager: Sarenah Pini.
Pini will contest the 50 and 100m butterfly and the 50, 100 and 200m freestyle as well as all three relays.
At the Australian Championships and Selection Trials in March, Pini was only able to race the heats because of home trials policy but managed to stop the clock at a season best time of 52.66 - which would have seen him placed fourth in the final.
There is no doubt he will again be in the medal mix when he lines up against Aussie pair, Olympic bronze medallists Andrew Lauterstein (2008) and Geoff Huegill (2000) in Delhi.
Pini was recently third to Huegill and Lauterstein in the Telstra Grand Prix Meet in Sydney with Australian champion Huegill stopping the clock in the 50m final at 23.85; Lauterstein 24.05 and Pini 24.29.
Lim, born in Port Moresby and Pokawin (whose parents are from Manus Island) but who was also born in Port Moresby, are both just 16 and will join their hero Pini in the 100m butterfly in the six-day Oceania Championships.
Pokawin has a busy scheduled and is also entered in the 50, 100, 200m freestyle and 400m freestyle and the 50 and 100m backstroke while Lim will also join Pokawin in the 50 and 100m backstroke and the 400m freestyle.
The Ampa'oi brothers Adam, 19 and Nathan 17, who originate from Bougainville will both contest the 50m and 100m breaststroke, while Nathan will swim the 200m individual medley and Adam the 200m breaststroke.