By James Cowling, Port Moresby 2015 for more Games News Service
PORT MORESBY, July 7 – For 12-year-old Rosemarie Rova (FIJ), the Port Moresby 2015 Pacific Games are more about getting experience on the international stage than winning medals.
Rova, the youngest member of Fiji’s swimming team, said she was pleasantly surprised with her fourth-placed finish in her first final of the Games, the women’s 400m individual medley at BSP Arena on Monday.
“I feel really good about coming fourth out of the many swimmers competing,” she said.
“I feel like I’ve done enough. I wouldn’t ask for anything else.”
The winner of the race was Lara Grangeon (NCL) who finished 46 seconds faster than Rova, is almost twice her age at 23, and was the winner of 16 gold medals at the Noumea 2011 Pacific Games.
Rova believes she will benefit from swimming against more experienced competitors.
“It’s very nerve wracking but I guess it will help me to improve. I find it very good to push me.”
RoVa’also gets pushed in the sport by her two older sisters; Cheyenne, 20, who is also competing in Port Moresby and Adele, 19, who is at home in Nadi.
Swimming really is a family affair for the Rovas. Rosemarie’s father, Ben, recently became the president of Fiji Swimming.
In Port Moresby, Rosmarie is focusing more on her six other events this week and less about the future, or the possibility of competing at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
“I’m not sure about that because we have a lot of competition in my swim team and they’re really good,” Rova said.
“I’ll wait a bit longer for my time to come.”
GNS jc/jl for more information visit www.portmoresby2015.com
