Meamea Thomas
Template:Short description Script error: No such module "infobox".Template:Wikidata imageScript error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".Script error: No such module "Check for clobbered parameters". Meamea Thomas (born 11 September 1987 in Tarawa,[1] died c. 23 June 2013)[2] was an I-Kiribati weightlifter.
Thomas represented Kiribati in the men's 85 kg event at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. He was, at that time, ranked 63rd in the world.[3] He finished 13th, having lifted 292.5 kg.[4] He was also his country's flagbearer during the Opening Ceremony.[5] He had previously won gold in the same event at the 2003 South Pacific Games in Suva.[3] He did not take part in the 2008 Olympics.[6]
In all, he won two gold medals at the 2003 South Pacific Games, and three at the 2009 Pacific Mini Games.[7] He won silver at the 2011 Pacific Games, and was twice Oceania Champion: in 2004 and 2010.[2]
On or around 23 June 2013, he was killed in a crash in his home country, at the age of 25. He saw a bicycle rider about to be hit by a speeding car, and pushed the rider to safety. He was hit instead, and died instantly. The driver of the car was drunk.[8] Paul Coffa, General Secretary of the Oceania Weightlifting Federation, paid tribute to his heroism in sacrificing himself to save a life.[2]
References
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- ↑ Kiribati athletes at the 2004 Olympics Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Kiribati National Olympic Committee
- ↑ a b c "In Memoriam: MEAMEA THOMAS 1987-2013" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Oceania Sport Information Centre, 24 June 2013
- ↑ a b "Kiribati's Olympic adventure", Andrew Fraser, BBC, August 3, 2004
- ↑ "Day 8 Weightlifting Schedule & Results", Sydney Morning Herald
- ↑ "Kiribati in first Olympic Games Opening Ceremony" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Kiribati National Olympic Committee, August 14, 2004
- ↑ "Kiribati sends three athletes to Beijing Olympics" Script error: No such module "webarchive"., Xinhua, 5 August 2008
- ↑ "Meamea Thomas - Kiribati", 2010 Oceania Weightlifting Championships
- ↑ Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
- Pages with script errors
- Weightlifters at the 2004 Summer Olympics
- Olympic weightlifters for Kiribati
- 1987 births
- 2013 deaths
- Pedestrian road incident deaths
- Road incident deaths in Kiribati
- People from the Gilbert Islands
- I-Kiribati male weightlifters
- Pacific Games gold medalists
- Pacific Games medalists in weightlifting
- Pacific Games silver medalists