Paris 2024: Kiribati make Paralympic debut

After an epic two-day journey from a tiny dot in the Pacific Ocean to Paris, blind athlete Ongiou Timeon, Kiribati’s first-ever Paralympian, made his mark on the international stage.  

Kiribati, population 116,545, is a Pacific island nation about halfway between Australia and Hawaii.  

The country, made up of 32 coral atolls and a raised coal island spread out over an area roughly the size of India, had never competed in a Paralympic Games.  

On Monday night at Stade de France, Timeon, 35, competed in the men's shot put F11 final.   

The atmosphere was electric as Timeon and his guide walked into the stadium and waved at spectators. 

He said later that the roar of the crowd had made him even more nervous. 

Timeon had a rocky start with his first attempt disqualified but he soon settled his nerves. His best throw was his second - 6.46m.  

On his third attempt, Timeon flashed up on the giant screens in the stadium, and the crowd cheered and clapped to boom-boom music as he took his shot.

Usher’s song Yeah! rang out over the stadium as he had his next turn.  

Iran’s Amirhossein Alipour Darbeid won gold with a throw of 14.78m.  

The silver went to Mahdi Olad from Iran and Alvaro del Amo Cano from Spain scooped up the bronze.  

Timeon placed eighth but said his first Games were a huge learning curve.  

“I tried my best. I can do better if I keep training well,” he told the IPC.  

When asked if he would aim to qualify for the LA 2028 Paralympics and Brisbane 2032, he said he would keep working hard.  

Epic journey to Paris  

Timeon took up the sport at age 27.  

He encouraged youngsters with disabilities from Pacific island countries to get involved in sports.  

“You shouldn’t focus on your disability, but on what you can do,” he said.  

“Try your best and show the world what you are capable of.” 

He said the highlight of his Games had been meeting other athletes from all over the world and learning a lot.  

The Kiribati team also visited the Eiffel Tower and Timeon joked about it being much taller than a coconut tree.  

“I took some photos to show everyone back home,” he said.  

The small delegation travelled for two days from Kiribati to Hong Kong and then on to Paris.  

“We are very proud to travel a very long trip,” Kiribati’s chef de mission Fakaofo Kekeang said. 

“Our expectations are to try our best.”  

Australia supported 13 Pacific islanders, including Timeon, to compete at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, in what is the largest-ever Pacific delegation.  

Australian Para athletes came together with their Pacific island counterparts for a special cultural ceremony at the Paralympic Village last week. 

During the coronavirus pandemic, Timeon was stranded in Fiji for nine months because of suspended flights and restrictions.  

He was returning from competing at the Queensland athletics state championships in Australia when borders closed overnight leaving him in limbo along with a teammate and coach.   

Kiribati was one of four countries granted full membership by the International Paralympic Committee during its General Assembly in Bonn in October 2019.  

The country, like many Pacific island nations, is on the frontline of global warming and faces increasingly frequent and intense mega cyclones and rising sea levels.  

In 2012, the Kiribati government bought 22 square kilometres of land in Fiji for the future resettlement of the population.