Wikipedia

Iuniarra Sipaia

Iuniarra Sipaia (née Simanu, born 25 June 1993) is a Samoan female weightlifter.[1] She has represented Samoa in several international competitions such as Pacific Mini Games, Commonwealth Games, Oceania Weightlifting Championships and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

Iuniarra Sipaia
Personal information
NicknameJune
Born (1993-06-25) June 25, 1993 (age 31)
Motootua, Samoa
Sport
CountrySamoa
SportWeightlifting
Coached byJeremiah Wallwork
Medal record
Representing  Samoa
Women's weightlifting
Pacific Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Honiara +87 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Nouméa +75 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Apia +87 kg
Commonwealth Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Penang +75 kg
Silver medal – second place 2017 Gold Coast +90 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2012 Apia +75 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Apia +87 kg
Oceania Championships
Gold medal – first place 2016 Suva +75 kg
Gold medal – first place 2022 Saipan +87 kg
Gold medal – first place 2023 Honiara +87 kg
Gold medal – first place 2024 Auckland +87 kg
Silver medal – second place 2017 Gold Coast +90 kg
Silver medal – second place 2018 Le Mont-Dore +90 kg
Silver medal – second place 2021 +87 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Darwin +75 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2014 Le Mont-Dore +75 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Apia +87 kg
Pacific Mini Games
Gold medal – first place 2013 Mata Utu +75 kg
Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games
Bronze medal – third place 2017 Ashgabat +90 kg
Arafura Games
Silver medal – second place 2019 Darwin +87 kg
Bronze medal – third place 2011 Darwin +75 kg

Career

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As a junior, she participated at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in the Girls' +63 event. She participated at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in the +75 kg event.[2] She won the bronze medal at the 2011 Pacific Games.[3]

Iuniarra won gold medal at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games in the over 75 kg category and set a new milestone in the sport of Weightlifting in Samoa. She was able to represent Samoa at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and competed in the women's over 75 kg category. She continued her dominance in the sport as she claimed 3 gold medals in the over 75 kg categories at the 2016 Oceania Weightlifting Championships.[4] She was also the part of the Samoan delegation which made its debut at the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games and claimed a bronze medal in the women's +90 kg event.

At the 2017 Australian Open Weightlifting Championships, she emerged as runners-up to a New Zealand transgender weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard. Laurel Hubbard lifted a weight of 268 kg, which was 19 kg more than that of Iuniarra Sipaia of Samoa and raised controversial issues relating to the approval of Laurel Hubbard to compete at the international competition.[5][6]

After the 2017 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games she was subsequently suspended for using Triamcinolone acetonide.[7] In April 2018 she cleared herself out and her ban was abolished. However, she missed the 2017 Pacific Mini Games, where she was a defending champion and couldn't compete at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.[8] She qualified for the 2020 Olympic games, but was unable to attend due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]

At the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in September 2023 she qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France.[10] In 2024, she finished in 11th place in the women's +81 kg event at the 2024 Summer Olympics.[11]

Major results

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Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank
Summer Olympics
2024 Paris, France +81 kg 100 105 110 — 141 141 148 — 246 11
World Championships
2018 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan +87 kg 102 107 111 16 135 140 143 13 250 15
2019 Pattaya, Thailand +87 kg 102 107 107 18 141 146 150 11 248 16
2023 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia +87 kg 105 105 110 10 145 146 150 7 256 8
IWF World Cup
2024 Phuket, Thailand +87 kg 105 110 112 10 150 155 160 6 267 7
Pacific Games
2011 Nouméa, New Caledonia +75 kg 87   112   199  
2019 Apia, Samoa +87 kg 103 104 108   142 147 147   255  
2023 Honiara, Solomon Islands +87 kg 102 107 112   145 153 158   252  
Oceania Championships
2010 Suva, Fiji +75 kg 75 80 83 4 96 101 105 4 188 4
2011 Darwin, Australia +75 kg 88   115   203  
2012 Apia, Samoa +75 kg 92 96 99 4 115 121 125   221 4
2014 Mont-Dore, New Caledonia +75 kg 98 102 106   127 133 133   229  
2016 Suva, Fiji +75 kg 100 104 107   130 134 139   246  
2017 Gold Coast, Australia +90 kg 103 108 110   137 142 146   250  
2018 Mont-Dore, New Caledonia +90 kg 102 106 110   136 136 136   242  
2019 Apia, Samoa +87 kg 103 104 108   142 147 147   255  
2021 Various, Oceania +87 kg 102 102 107   141 141 146   248  
2022 Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands +87 kg 102 104 112   147 153 157   261  
2024 Auckland, New Zealand +87 kg 101 106 110   145 155 155   265  
Arafura Games
2019 Darwin, Australia +87 kg 102 102 107 2 140 144 146 1 253  
Commonwealth Games
2010 Delhi, India +75 kg 82 86 90 — 105 110 112 — 196 7
2014 Glasgow, Scotland +75 kg 98 102 105 — 126 131 136 — 233 5
Commonwealth Championships
2013 Penang, Malaysia +75 kg 100 5 126 6 226 5
2016 Penang, Malaysia +75 kg 99 104 108   125 130 135   243  
2017 Gold Coast, Australia +90 kg 103 108 110   137 142 146   250  
2019 Apia, Samoa +87 kg 103 104 108   142 147 147   255  

References

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  1. ^ "IWRP - Weightlifting Database". www.iwrp.net. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  2. ^ "Weightlifting at the 2010 Commonwealth Games - Iuniarra Simanu". iwf.net. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  3. ^ "2011 Pacific Games - Iuniarra Simanu". iwf.net. Retrieved 10 November 2016.
  4. ^ "Results by Events - International Weightlifting Federation". International Weightlifting Federation. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  5. ^ "Woman lifter beaten by transgender speaks up". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  6. ^ "Transgender weightlifter under fire from competitors after qualifying for Commonwealth Games". Women in the World in Association with The New York Times - WITW. 2017-03-22. Retrieved 2017-12-05.
  7. ^ "PUBLIC DISCLOSURE". www.iwf.net. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  8. ^ "Samoan weightlifter cleared, ban overturned". www.radionz.co.nz. Retrieved 2018-11-15.
  9. ^ Lanuola Tupufia (15 July 2024). "'Our whole country is behind them': Samoa's weightlifters chasing Olympic glory". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 July 2024.
  10. ^ Talaia Mika (17 September 2023). "Don and Iuniarra qualify for Olympic Games". Samoa Observer. Retrieved 18 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Weightlifting Results Book" (PDF). 2024 Summer Olympics. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 August 2024. Retrieved 12 August 2024.
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