David Liti of New Zealand at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand's participation in the Paris Olympics weightlifting competition could become a lot clearer after this week's international meeting in Manukau.
The 2024 Weightlifting Festival will include the Oceania Championships which will bring together the best lifters in the region to battle for a place in Paris.
The event is one of five identified competitions around the world that New Zealand athletes have to participate in and gain the required results to be considered for the Paris Olympics.
Former Commonwealth Games champion David Liti heads the list of New Zealand lifters competing and is the best placed to earn another trip to an Olympics.
The number of Olympic weightlifting spots has dropped from 180 at Tokyo to 120 in Paris, spread across five men's and five women's divisions.
Olivia Selemaia Photo: WEIGHTLIFTING NZ
That makes it even more difficult to gain qualification with lifters needing to be either ranked in the top ten of their division or be the top ranked athlete in their region.
Weightlifting New Zealand President Simon Kent says while a couple of the New Zealand athletes have a chance to qualify for Paris, they want to make sure they're all in the best place possible to compete if called upon.
"We're making sure they fit all the eligibility criteria that if one of those top ten ranked women from Australia or Samoa couldn't go for some reason, then we're the next cab off the rank."
Kent concedes their best chance is with Liti in the +109kg class, while Olivia Selemaia in the 71kg class having an outside shot.
"It's incredibly tough, the process is tough with such limited numbers available at the games."
Liti, who finished fifth in Tokyo, leads the list of Kiwis hoping to improve their rankings enough to gain an automatic invite to Paris.
Liti won his division at the recent Pacific Games in Solomon Islands and holds a ranking of 15, a half a dozen places higher than Samoan Sanele Mao.
Others with Paris Olympic ambitions are Hayley Whiting, Susana Nimo and teenager Selemaia.
Selemaia, who has moved up to the 71kg class, will have to beat Australian Jacqueline Nichele who last year recorded a best total weight 17kg heavier than the Kiwi.
David Liti Photo: PHOTOSPORT
In the 81kg class Whiting is ranked well behind Commonwealth Games champion Australian Eileen Cikamatana, who has made the podium at the last two world championships.
While Nimo has a lot of ground to catch up to Iuniarra Sipaia of Samoa in the +87kg division.
Weightlifting internationally has had it's problems in recent years with doping and governance, but Kent said it has gone through an overhaul and he's confident about it's future.
"The biggest win was it being confirmed on the 2028 LA Olympic programme.
"There was a real concern that if it wasn't on that programme then we could get lost.
"We'd love for it to be on the Brisbane 2032 Olympic programme as an opportunity of our current young group to make their mark.
"We're excited for the next eight to ten years for our sport."
The last time the Oceania champs were held in New Zealand was in 2008.
New Zealand first had a weightlifter at an Olympics in 1948 and has had at least one weightlifter at every Olympics since 2008, but is yet to win a medal.
The Oceania Weightlifting Championships will be held at the Due Drop Event Centre in Manukau from February 21 to 25.
There are 170 entries from across the region in the youth, junior and senior ranks, with 93 of those female.
New Zealand has a team of 30 taking part.
