Iliesa delana biography for kids
•
Delana overcomes struggles to create history
Delana overcomes struggles to create history
The Fijian flag was flying high at the London Olympic Stadium yesterday with the happiest man on the planet at the time, Fiji paralympian Iliesa Delana, proudly running around the track.
The photo was priceless as Delana who only has one leg ran in Fijian colours with a crutch in one hand and the Fiji flag in the other.
He ran, he smiled, he acknowledged the 80, plus crowd in the stadium as he created history yesterday by winning Fiji’s first ever gold in the Paralympic Games.
This is also Fiji’s first ever medal in the games.
Delana won gold in the high jump F42 category for single leg amputees with a jump of metres setting a new Oceania record in the process and becoming the first athlete ever in Fiji and the Pacific to win a gold medal in the Paralympic Games.
Delana beat athletes from India, Poland, China, Brazil, the Philippines and Sri L
•
This young sportsman qualifies in every category of criteria for the Fiji entré of Fame award that states to be eligible for nomination an athlete must:
- have retired from his/her sport for at least 5 years from the date of induction;
- be a Fiji citizen and/or achieved distinction as a Fiji Representative OR
- An athlete who by his/her sheer performance achieves international status and recognition shall be eligible for induction&#;&#;.
His international and regional achievements are very impressive and include winning:
- Gold medals at the Arafura Games in , and
- The FESPIC Games in , and
- The Habafaki Track/Field event in Japan in
Although not retired from his idrott, Iliesa has, by his sheer performance achieved international status and recognition in his idrott, Class F42 (single leg amputee without prosthesis) High Jump. In , his Silver Medal win in the International Paralympic Committee’s World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, earned him not only a No. 2 ranking
•
Iliesa Delana
Fijian Paralympic athlete
Iliesa DelanaMOF (born 2 December ) is a Fijian politician and Paralympic high jumper who has been Member of the Parliament of Fiji and Cabinet Minister since 17 September He was the first Fijian athlete to win a medal, gold in high jump, for Fiji at the Paralympics.
Early life
[edit]Delana was born in Naisausau, Namara, Tailevu, Fiji. He lost his left leg in a bus accident at age three. He debuted at the FESPIC Games in ,[1] and has since won silver medal at the IPC Athletics World Championships, held in New Zealand,[2] and then a gold medal at the Summer Paralympics.
Paralympics
[edit]Delana competed in the F42 category (for single leg amputees without prosthesis) at the Summer Paralympics. Going into the games, Delana was ranked number 2 in the world,[2][3] but jumped m to win the gold on count back, after clearing all heights up to and including m on his first attempts. His jump of m