PNG Athletics recorded history was broken in Brisbane, Australia on Thursday by a talented young star Aquila Turalom.
Turalom ran the 3000m steeplechase in 9minutes 22.06 seconds, shaving 3 seconds of the time of 9minutes 25.8 seconds set by the late, great John Kokinai in Port Moresby on 25th of August 1971.
Athletics PNG President Tony Green who was in Brisbane to witness Turalom’s run said that the record was a great achievement.
He said it was not a surprise because Aquila had shown the signs that this is coming. Aquila’s big breakthrough came at the Pacific Games in Honiara when he ran 9minutes 26 seconds in the steeplechase and broke the 30 year old national record in the 1500m, becoming the first Papua New Guinean to run the metric mile in under 4minutes.
After Pacific Games in Honiara, Turalom went to the Gold Coast Australia to build on his achievements. He resides at the Oceania Athletics House at Varsity Lakes to continue on his programme leading up to the World Cross Country Championships last year.
In competitions leading up to this state championship Turalom has clocked times of 9minutes 34 and 9minutes 40 seconds. Coach Brett Green who has been training Turalom at the Gold Coast said increasing his weekly mileage has made the difference as Aquila now has the strength to maintain the pace to the end of the race.
Turalom dedicated the record to his first coach the late Wilson Malana who brought him into the sport and was a huge influencer.
