Tafi Breaks Oceania Clean & Jerk Record as Samoan Weightlifting Stars Shine

John Tafi has broken the Oceania Senior Men’s 71kg clean and jerk record, lifting an incredible 172kg at the IBFC Universal Weightlifting Cup.

The Samoan star delivered a dominant performance in the 71kg division, completing a clean sweep and taking control of the competition from the very beginning. 

He opened with a strong 140kg lift in the snatch, immediately putting pressure on his competitors. But it was in the clean and jerk where he made history, powering through the 172kg lift to set a new Oceania record and seal gold in emphatic fashion. The lift not only secured his victory but also confirmed his status as one of the region’s most exciting and in-form weightlifters.

Fellow Samoan representing NZ, Olivia Selemaia continued her impressive rise with a record-breaking lift of her own, hitting 124kg in the clean and jerk in the 69kg division to set a new Oceania mark. The young Samoan Kiwi has been steadily gaining recognition and remains one to watch as she climbs the international rankings.

Meanwhile, at the Tuanaimato Gym, Sione Sasa delivered an outstanding performance in the 88kg category, showcasing the depth of Samoa’s emerging talent.

Sasa capped off an outstanding campaign by winning gold in the overall total at the 2026 IBFC Oceania and Commonwealth Youth Championships. Competing in front of a strong home crowd, he lifted the energy in the arena and underlined his growing presence in the sport.

Leading into that result, he had already secured gold in both the Junior Snatch and Junior Clean and Jerk at the Oceania Youth and Commonwealth Youth Championships, showing consistency across all lifts.