Tonga at the 2000 Summer Olympics
{{good article}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{infobox country at games
| NOC = TGA
| NOCname = Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee
| games = Summer Olympics
| year = 2000
| flagcaption =
| oldcode =
| website = {{url|www.oceaniasport.com/tonga }}
| location = Sydney
| competitors = 3 (2 men and 1 woman)
| sports = 2
| flagbearer = Ana Siulolo Liku
| rank =
| gold = 0
| silver = 0
| bronze = 0
| officials =
| appearances = auto
| app_begin_year = 1984
| app_end_year =
| summerappearances =
| winterappearances =
| seealso =
}}
Tonga sent a delegation to compete at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia from 15 September to 1 October 2000. Sydney was Tonga's fifth consecutive appearance at a Summer Olympic Games. The Tongan delegation to Sydney consisted of two track and field athletes; Toluta'u Koula and Ana Siulolo Liku; and weightlifter Tevita Kofe Ngalu. Neither of the track athletes advanced beyond the first round of their events, while Ngalu came 13th in the men's 105 kg category.
Background
The Tonga Sports Association and National Olympic Committee was recognized by the International Olympic Committee on 1 January 1984.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/tonga|title=Tonga – National Olympic Committee (NOC)|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031312/https://www.olympic.org/tonga|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=live}} The Kingdom of Tonga made its Olympic debut at the 1984 Summer Olympics, and has appeared at every Summer Olympic Games since then, making these Sydney Games their fifth appearance.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/TGA/|title=Tonga|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170227110048/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/TGA/|archive-date=27 February 2017|url-status=dead}} They did not make their debut in the Winter Olympic Games until the 2014 Sochi Olympics. The 2000 Summer Olympics were held from 15 September to 1 October 2000; a total of 10,651 athletes represented 199 National Olympic Committees.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000|title=Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics – results & video highlights|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=7 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180703164903/https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000|archive-date=3 July 2018|url-status=live}} The Tongan delegation consisted of two track and field athletes; Toluta'u Koula and Ana Siulolo Liku; and weightlifter Tevita Kofe Ngalu.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/TGA/summer/2000/|title=Tonga at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025071016/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/countries/TGA/summer/2000/|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} Liku was chosen as the flag-bearer for the opening ceremony.
Athletics
{{main|Athletics at the 2000 Summer Olympics}}
Toluta'u Koula was 30 years old at the time of the Sydney Olympics. He was making his third consecutive and final Olympic appearance, having previously represented Tonga at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/toluta-u-koula|title=Toluta'u KOULA – Olympic Athletics – Tonga|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025070903/https://www.olympic.org/toluta-u-koula|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/tolutau-koula-1.html|title=Toluta'u Koula Bio, Stats, and Results|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031254/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ko/tolutau-koula-1.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} On 22 September, he was drawn into heat four of the first round of the men's 100 meters; he finished the race in 11.01 seconds, ninth and last in his heat, and was eliminated.{{cite web |title=Summer Olympics 2000 Track and field results |url=http://static.espn.go.com/oly/summer00/news/2000/0921/765220.html |agency=Associated Press |publisher=ESPN |access-date=29 November 2018 |date=22 September 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181104175002/http://static.espn.go.com/oly/summer00/news/2000/0921/765220.html |archive-date=4 November 2018 |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/mens-100-metres-round-one.html|title=Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's 100 metres Round One|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180420010717/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/mens-100-metres-round-one.html|archive-date=20 April 2018|url-status=dead}} The gold medal was eventually won in 9.87 seconds by Maurice Greene of the United States; the silver was won by Ato Boldon of Trinidad and Tobago; and the bronze was earned by Obadele Thompson of Barbados.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/mens-100-metres.html|title=Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's 100 metres|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140505053844/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/mens-100-metres.html|archive-date=5 May 2014|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000/athletics/100m-men|title=Sydney 2000 100m men – Olympic Athletics|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327055728/https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000/athletics/100m-men|archive-date=27 March 2017|url-status=live}}
Ana Siulolo Liku was 26 years old at the time of these Olympics, and had also previously represented Tonga at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/ana-siulolo-liku|title=Ana Siulolo LIKU – Olympic Athletics- Tonga|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025070915/https://www.olympic.org/ana-siulolo-liku|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/li/ana-siulolo-liku-1.html|title=Ana Siulolo Liku Bio, Stats, and Results|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031237/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/li/ana-siulolo-liku-1.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} On 25 September, she was drawn into heat three of the women's 100 meter hurdles, where she finished the race in a time of 14.58 seconds.{{cite web |title=IAAF: Siulolo Ana LIKU – Profile |url=https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/tonga/siulolo-liku-64305 |publisher=International Association of Athletics Federations |access-date=29 November 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161101001345/https://www.iaaf.org/athletes/tonga/siulolo-liku-64305 |archive-date=1 November 2016 |url-status=live }} This put her eighth and last in her heat, and she was eliminated.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/womens-100-metres-hurdles-round-one.html|title=Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Women's 100 metres Hurdles Round One|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025070953/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/womens-100-metres-hurdles-round-one.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} The gold medal was won by Olga Shishigina of Kazakhstan in a time of 12.65 seconds, the silver by Nigeria's Glory Alozie, and the bronze was won by Melissa Morrison of the United States.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/womens-100-metres-hurdles.html|title=Athletics at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Women's 100 metres Hurdles|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031314/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/ATH/womens-100-metres-hurdles.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000/athletics/100m-hurdles-women|title=Sydney 2000 100m hurdles women – Olympic Sydney 2000 Athletics|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327061008/https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000/athletics/100m-hurdles-women|archive-date=27 March 2017|url-status=live}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"|Athlete
!scope="col" rowspan="2"|Event !scope="col" colspan="2"|Heat !scope="col" colspan="2"|Quarterfinal !scope="col" colspan="2"|Semifinal !scope="col" colspan="2"|Final |
|---|
| style="font-size:95%"
!Result !Rank !Result !Rank !Result !Rank !Result !Rank |
| align=center
!scope="row" align=left| Toluta'u Koula |align=left|Men's 100 m |11.01 |9 |colspan=6|did not advance |
| align=center
!scope="row" align=left|Ana Siulolo Liku |align=left|Women's 100 m hurdles |14.58 |8 |colspan=6|did not advance |
Weightlifting
{{main|Weightlifting at the 2000 Summer Olympics}}
Tevita Kofe Ngalu was 27 years old at the time of the Sydney Olympics and was making his only Olympic appearance.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ng/tevita-kofe-ngalu-1.html|title=Tevita Kofe Ngalu Bio, Stats, and Results|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031307/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/ng/tevita-kofe-ngalu-1.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}}{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/tevita-kofe-ngalu|title=Tevita Kofe NGALU – Olympic Weightlifting – Tonga|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161006114658/https://www.olympic.org/tevita-kofe-ngalu|archive-date=6 October 2016|url-status=live}} On 25 September, he took part in the men's 105 kg competition, where participants could weigh no more than 105 kg. The competition was held in two phases, the clean and jerk, and the snatch with the sum of both lifts determining an athlete's final score; both lifts had to be completed for an athlete to rank for the event and each weightlifter got three attempts in each discipline.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight.html|title=Weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's Heavyweight|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031242/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} In his three attempts at the snatch, Ngalu lifted 122.5 kg and 127.5 kg, before failing on his third attempt at 130 kg, making his mark for the snatch 127.5 kg. This ranked him 17th and last among those setting a mark, however four weightlifters failed to set any mark in the snatch and were not allowed to advance to the clean and jerk.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight-snatch.html|title=Weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's Heavyweight Snatch|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031329/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight-snatch.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}}
The clean and jerk portion of the competition was held the same day. In his three attempts, Ngalu lifted 162.5 kg in his first attempt, failed at 167.5 kg in his second attempt, and lifted 167.5 kg in his third and final attempt, making his mark for this portion of the competition 165.5 kg. This placed him 13th and last, although four lifters failed to set a mark in the clean and jerk and went unranked in the competition.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight-clean--jerk.html|title=Weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's Heavyweight Clean & Jerk|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031250/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight-clean--jerk.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} Ngalu's final mark was 295 kg for the competition, which placed him in 13th and last among those who completed the event.{{cite web|url=https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight.html|title=Weightlifting at the 2000 Sydney Summer Games: Men's Heavyweight|publisher=Sports Reference|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025031242/https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/summer/2000/WLT/mens-heavyweight.html|archive-date=25 October 2018|url-status=dead}} The gold medal was won by Hossein Tavakkoli of Iran, who set marks of 190 kg in the snatch and 235 kg in the clean and jerk, for a total mark of 425 kg,{{cite news |last1=Baron |first1=Peter |title=Weightlifting: Silver for Bulgarian tainted by his team |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4772313/Weightlifting-Silver-for-Bulgarian-tainted-by-his-team.html |access-date=29 November 2018 |work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London |date=25 September 2000 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216204154/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/4772313/Weightlifting-Silver-for-Bulgarian-tainted-by-his-team.html |archive-date=16 February 2018 |url-status=live }} setting a new Olympic record.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000/weightlifting/105kg-heavyweight-men|title=Sydney 2000 105kg (heavyweight) men – Olympic Weightlifting|publisher=International Olympic Committee|access-date=24 October 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170326111711/https://www.olympic.org/sydney-2000/weightlifting/105kg-heavyweight-men|archive-date=26 March 2017|url-status=live}}
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |
| scope="col" rowspan="2"|Athlete
!scope="col" rowspan="2"|Event !scope="col" colspan="2"|Snatch !scope="col" colspan="2"|Clean & Jerk !scope="col" rowspan="2"|Total !scope="col" rowspan="2"|Rank |
|---|
| style="font-size:95%"
!Result !Rank !Result !Rank |
| align=center
!scope'row" align=left|Tevita Kofe Ngalu | style="text-align:left;"|Men's 105 kg |align=center|127.5 |align=center|17 |align=center|167.5 |align=center|13 |align=center|295.0 |align=center|13 |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{NOCin2000SummerOlympics}}
{{country at games navbox|Tonga|Olympics}}