Discipline: Middle Distance
Coach: Nemani Tukunia
Club: Trailblazers
Personal Bests:
- 400m – 49.05s (22/03/2018 – 2018 Summer of Athletics Grand Prix, Brisbane Australia)
- 800m – 1:53.39s (24/11/2018 – Athletics Fiji Weekly Competition, Suva Fiji)
- 1500m – 4:07:10s (20/07/2019 – 2019 Pacific Games, Apia Samoa)
Petero Veitaqomaki made a burst into the Athletics scene at the 2017 Coca Cola Games whilst representing Sigatoka Methodist College. Veitaqomaki finished 4th in the final of the Intermediate Boys’ 400m and edged out Xavier College’s Shaneel Narayan for the gold in the final of the Intermediate Boy’s 800m.
It was this come from behind performance that prompted Trailblazers Club Head Coach Nemani Tukunia to pursue Veitaqomaki.
That same year, Veitaqomaki was selected to represent Fiji at the 2017 Oceania Area Championships where he won 2 gold medals competing in the U18 Boys’ 800m and 4x400m. He later on went to represent Fiji at the 2017 Mini Pacific Games in Vanuatu where he unexpectedly won the Men’s 1500m final.
In the years that followed Petero proved to be the nation’s fastest 800m and challenged Cook Island’s Alex Beddoes for the title of the Region’s Fastest 800m runner.
At the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, Veitaqomaki teamed up with training partner Kameli Sauduadua, 400m rival Samuela Railoa and 100m specialist Aaron Powell in the 4x400m relay where they finished 5th in the final.
Petero’s 800m personal best of 1:53.39s sees him sitting at No. 8 in the Top 10 fastest 800m runners in Fiji All Time.