Mesulame Rakuro
Personal information
NationalityFijian
Born(1932-05-15)15 May 1932
Nailaga, Fiji
Died13 June 1969(1969-06-13) (aged 37)
Drasa Training Farm, Fiji
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)Discus throw, shot put
Medal record
South Pacific Games
Gold medal – first place 1963 Suva Discus
Gold medal – first place 1963 Suva Shot put
Gold medal – first place 1966 Nouméa Discus

Mesulame Rakuro (12 May 1932 – 13 June 1969) was a Fijian athlete specialising in the discus throw and shot put.

Biography

Born in Nailaga, Ba Province,[1] Rakuro was a teacher.[2] He competed in both the discus (in which he finished eighth) and 4 x 110 yards relay at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games,[1] before being selected to represent Fiji at the 1956 Summer Olympics,[2] the first time the country had participated in the Olympics. He qualified for the final round, in which he finished fifteenth. He subsequently represented Fiji at the Independence Games in Malaya the following year, and was again selected for the British Empire and Commonwealth Games of 1958, where he finished fifth.[1] Following the games, he competed in a Commonwealth versus Great Britain athletics meet in London in August 1958, where he set a Fijian discus record of 51.84m,[3] The record stood for 61 years until being broken by Mustafa Fall in 2019.[4]

Rakuro competed in the 1960 Summer Olympics, but failed to progress beyond the qualifying round.[1] However, he went on to win gold in both the discus and shot put in the 1963 South Pacific Games. He retained his gold in the discus in the 1966 edition.

Rakuro was Fiji's first Olympic flag bearer. He carried the flag of Fiji in the opening ceremonies of both the 1956 and 1960 Summer Games.[5]

Rakuro died at his home in the Drasa Training Farm in June 1969.[2] He was inducted into the Fiji Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.[3]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Mesulame Rakuro Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Fiji's first Olympian dies at 38 Pacific Islands Monthly, July 1969, p133
  3. 1 2 1991 Mesulame Rakuro Athletics Fiji
  4. ↑ Mustafa Fall breaks 61 year old record Fiji Sun, 23 May 2019
  5. ↑ "Flagbearers for Fiji". olympedia.org. OlyMADMen. Retrieved 18 December 2023.
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