Sereana Salalo/PACNEWS

The 31-year-old athlete finished 11th in the Women’s +81kg Weightlifting event at South Paris Arena 6.

Sipaia finished with a total of 246, with 105kg in the Snatch and 141kg in the Clean and Jerk.

In addition to competing, she also had the honor of serving as Samoa’s flag bearer during the opening ceremony of Paris 2024.

“I’m excited. I feel good.

“I just tried my best. It was really hard for me—I have a hip injury that affects my right knee—but I wanted to make my country proud,” Sipaia shared after her lift.

While she did not achieve a personal best as she had in previous competitions, Sipaia was grateful for the opportunity to make her Olympic debut.

“I appreciate myself for handling my injury. Thanks to all my supporters at home—my family and those who made it here,” she said.

Sipaia also encouraged others to pursue their passion for weightlifting.

“If you’re a weightlifter, come and try to make your family proud.

“Your talent is your future to help your family,” she said.

For Sipaia, representing the small Pacific nations on the Olympic stage has been one of the highlights of her experience at the Games.

“I’m happy to see athletes from the other side of the world, especially from the Pacific and Oceania—we are all one spirit here.

“This is our big platform, and it’s nice to meet them here and continue our relationship,” she added.

Sipaia had previously qualified for Tokyo 2020, but in July 2021, Samoa announced it would not send any athletes from the island to the Olympic Games due to concerns over COVID-19.