WEIGHTLIFTING: Olympic dreams can be decided in one lap, one jump, or in Erika Ropati-Frost’s case – one lift.
The 28-year-old has her eye on making her Olympic debut at Rio in August, but first she needs to help Australia secure a female weightlifting quota spot and then she needs to make that position her own.
This Tuesday the best lifters in the region will come together in Fiji for the Oceania Championships. If Australia does qualify a quota, then the athlete with the highest percentage total above the Rio qualifier in both the men’s and women’s events will secure their spot. There were three previous chances to post a total, two in 2015 and one in March this year.
“I have a few goals to achieve in Fiji. Firstly I would like to make sure I secure a placing that will help the Team secure the one female spot for the Olympics,” Ropati-Frost said.
“The next step will be to get the highest total I can possible produce on the day so to get all six lifts would do that, this will hopefully secure the Olympic spot. My other goals also include breaking the Oceania records and winning the best lifter award, but these would just be an absolute bonus.”
The Darwin-born athlete, who claimed bronze at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, finished fourth at the 2014 Commonwealth Games despite a difficult preparation after her husband Tony was diagnosed with throat cancer. With Tony now healthy, Ropati-Frost is pumped to focus on producing her best.
“Going to the Olympics would be an incredible opportunity and a dream that all my family have had. So to be able to do this and take them with me on this journey would be a dream come true for us all.
“We haven’t always been the luckiest bunch of people but together we have all overcome many things, so this could just be something that reminds us of that and of how strong we are as a family, that we have done this together.”
After winning two gold medals at the Pacific Games last July in Papua New Guinea, the pint-sized Queenslander went on to become the first Australian female to lift double their body weight, a remarkable achievement.
But it’s been another tough six months since then with injury after injury forcing her out of the gym.
“My injuries could not have come at a more terrible time. We had four opportunities to try to put forward a result to try to make the Olympic Games. The first competition I had a really sore back and did not do very well missing all but one clean and jerk. At the time I did not know that I had five bulging disks, two of which herniated in training the next day. This then put me out of the second competition.
“Then early February during training I had dropped 85 kilograms on my knee. I had a hematoma and bruised bone all around the knee joint. This then took me out of the third event. It does still give me a bit of a hard time but I have been able to pull it together and train as much as I can to put me in the best possible position.
“I am someone who believes things happen for a reason, and to go through these setbacks has opened new opportunities and a new mindset. Will it pay off? I'm not sure yet but we will find out on competition day.”
Ropati-Frost faces tough competition from fellow Aussies including Tia-Clair Toomey, Kiana Elliot, Pip Malone and Seen Lee.
Five women have lifted the qualifier so far, Toomey, Ropati-Frost, Elliot, Lee and Jenna Myers.
While in the men’s, the current leader of the group is 2014 Commonwealth Games silver medallist Simplice Ribeoum, the only male to have lifted the qualifier.
Sitting in second is fellow Cameroon born athlete Francois Etoundi and in third is dual Olympian Damon Kelly.
If Kelly was to win the spot, competing in the 105kg+ category, then he could become only the third Australian weightlifter to have competed at three Olympics.
He said it would be an honour.
“To qualify for my third Olympics would be amazing, to be amongst that company would be such an honour.”
Since London a lot has changed for Kelly, marrying and having two children, Patrick, 3, and Thomas, 1.
“It’s challenging juggling two jobs, family and training 15 plus hours a week. But it’s what I have to do. It’s great to have the support of my wife Sharon and the boys who definitely help me through the tough weeks and are always cheering me on.
“Each of my Olympic campaigns have been very different, each with their own challenges, but this build up has been the most challenging. So to make Rio would be very rewarding for myself and my family.”
Australian Weightlifting Federation High Performance Coordinator Jacqui White said it’s the most important event of the four year period.
“The Oceania Championships are an immensely important event. From a Team perspective it is vital that we qualify one male and one female quota spot for the Games, this is our last chance to ensure that we are represented in Rio.
“For the individual athletes this will be one of, if not the most important competition of their weightlifting careers – at least until the Rio Games.”
The Oceania Championships begin on Tuesday 24 May with the men’s 50kg and 56kg and finish on Saturday 28 May with the women’s 75kg+ and men’s 105kg+.
ANNIE KEARNEY
olympics.com.au
