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Oceania Area Championships in Athletics

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Oceania Athletics Championships
Statusactive
Genresports event
Frequencybiennial
Location(s)various
Inaugurated1990
Most recent2024
Organised byOceania Athletics Association
Websiteathletics-oceania.com

The Oceania Athletics Championships is an athletics event organized by the Oceania Athletics Association (OAA) for the World Athletics (WA; formerly the IAAF) member associations of the Oceania region.[1]

The event has been held jointly with the Under-20 Championships since 1994, Under-18 Championships since 2000, the Para Championships since 2022, and the Masters Championships since 2024.

History

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First held in 1990 in Suva, it was initially conceived as a quadrennial event; however, after the second edition in 1994, the championships changed to a biennial event. After the 2010 championships, there were significant changes in the format of the competition. Now being held as a regional championships (in 2011 and 2012), the associations were divided into two divisions based on their geographical location (either east or west). However, the competition was revised back to its original format as an area championships in 2013.[2][3]

Since the inaugural championships in 1990 (up until 2017), unlike the rest of the OAA member federations, only Australia and New Zealand send their second tier teams to compete in the championships. This was to allow Pacific Island nations to be competitive and challenge for medals.[4] However, in 2019, the championships increased in competition status with the then IAAF (now World Athletics) changing the qualification criteria for the 2019 World Championships in Doha and the 2020 Summer Olympics, whereby athletes could qualify through World Athletics ranking points: continental - ie. area - championships were granted 'tier-one' status offering more ranking points under the WA world rankings system.[5][6]

The 2021 edition set for Korman Stadium in Port Vila was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making this the first cancellation of the event.[7]

Editions

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Edition Year Host City Host Country Date Venue Events Nations Athletes Champions
1 1990 Suva  Fiji 11–14 July National Stadium 39  New Zealand
2 1994 Auckland  New Zealand 22–26 February 38  New Zealand
3 1996 Townsville  Australia 28–30 November 42  New Zealand
4 1998 Nuku'alofa  Tonga 27–28 August Teufaiva Stadium 39  New Zealand
5 2000 Adelaide  Australia 24–26 August Santos Stadium 40  New Zealand
6 2002 Christchurch  New Zealand 12–14 December Queen Elizabeth II Park 40  New Zealand
7 2004 Townsville  Australia 16–18 December Townsville Sports Reserve 38  New Zealand
8 2006 Apia  Samoa 12–16 December Apia Park 37  New Zealand
9 2008 Saipan  Northern Mariana Islands 25–28 June Oleai Sports Complex 39  Fiji
10 2010 Cairns  Australia 23–25 September Barlow Park 36  Australia
11 2013 Papeete  French Polynesia 3–5 June Stade Pater Te Hono Nui 44  New Zealand
12 2014 Rarotonga  Cook Islands 24–26 June BCI Stadium 40  Australia
13 2015 Cairns  Australia 8–10 May Barlow Park 60  Australia
14 2017 Suva  Fiji 28 June–1 July ANZ National Stadium 57  New Zealand
15 2019 Townsville  Australia 25–28 June Townsville Sports Reserve 59  Australia
— 2021 Port Vila  Vanuatu Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
16 2022 Mackay  Australia 7–11 June Mackay Aquatic and Recreation Centre 46  Australia
17 2024 Suva  Fiji 4–8 June HFC Bank Stadium 45  Australia
18 2026 Darwin  Australia 18–23 May Arafura Stadium TBC TBC
  • 2024 include:

Championship Age Groups Senior, U18, Para, Masters

Team Challenge U20, U16

Para

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2016 Asian Para Athletics Championships

1st 2022 [8]

2nd 2024 [9]

Medals (1990-2024)

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The all-time Oceania Athletics Championships medal table is the sum of all medals won by OAA member federations, associate members, as well as invited teams from the very first edition till the most recent championships in 2024. All medals counted are based on the official results posted on the Oceania Athletics Association website.

Associate members with medals are listed in italic. Also listed in italic but are unranked are invited athletics teams.

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 Australia210208174592
2 New Zealand19813193422
3 Papua New Guinea908880258
4 Fiji756061196
5 Samoa34182274
6 Tonga253441100
7 French Polynesia15232260
8 New Caledonia[1]12212053
9 Solomon Islands10101232
–Australia Regional Australia[2]8121030
10 Vanuatu7161639
11 Cook Islands5131331
12 Guam5111632
13 Norfolk Island5229
14 American Samoa23813
15 Kiribati16411
16 Northern Mariana Islands1438
–French Polynesia Tahiti West Coast[3]1034
–Australia Australian Masters team[4]0202
17 Palau0112
 Wallis and Futuna[1]0112
19 Nauru0044
20 Marshall Islands0011
 Micronesia0011
Totals (21 entries)7046646081,976
  • ^[1] Associate members of OAA - Not recognized by World Athletics.
  • ^[2] Regional Australia is a team from Northern Australia competing as invitees at every championships since 2013.
  • ^[3] Tahiti West Coast competed once in 2013 as a local team from the host federation of French Polynesia.
  • ^[4] Australia Masters team competed once in 2015 as an invited team from the host federation of Australia.

As of 2019, only Tuvalu (OAA member federation) and Niue (OAA associate member) have yet to win a medal.

Championship records

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Main article: List of Oceania Area Championships in Athletics records

Regional Championships

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Oceania Athletics has three regions: Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia. Since 2000, each region, in a non area championships year, hold their own regional championships. The regions at the regional meetings decide the location for the Championships.[10][11][12][13][14]

Melanesian Championships

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See also: List of Melanesian Championships in Athletics records

Participating associations

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Editions

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Year City Country Date Venue No. of
Events 		No. of
Athletes
1 2001 Suva  Fiji April
2 2003 Lae  Papua New Guinea 25–27 April
3 2005 Lae  Papua New Guinea 22–24 April Sir Ignatius Kilage Stadium
4 2007 Cairns  Australia 14–19 August Barlow Park
5 2009 Gold Coast  Australia 4–8 August Griffith University
6 2016 Suva  Fiji 7–9 July ANZ Stadium
7 2018 Port Vila  Vanuatu 9–11 May Korman Stadium

Micronesian Championships

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See also: List of Micronesian Championships in Athletics records

Participating associations

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Editions

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Year City Country Date Venue No. of
Events 		No. of
Athletes
1 2003 Koror  Palau 25–26 April
2 2005 Saipan  Northern Mariana Islands 14–15 December Oleai Sports Complex
3 2007 Yona  Guam 14–15 December Leo Palace Resort
4 2009 Gold Coast  Australia 4–8 August Griffith University
5 2016 Kolonia  Federated States of Micronesia 2–4 June
6 2018 Saipan  Northern Mariana Islands 14–16 June Oleai Sports Complex

Polynesian Championships

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See also: List of Polynesian Championships in Athletics records

Participating associations

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Editions

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Year City Country Date Venue No. of
Events 		No. of
Athletes
1 2000 Apia  Samoa
2 2005 Papeete  French Polynesia October
3 2007 Rarotonga  Cook Islands October 16–17
4 2009 Gold Coast  Australia August 4–8 Griffith University
5 2016 Papeete  French Polynesia April 7–9 Pater Stadium

Oceania Cup

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In addition to the Oceania Area Championships, there is also the Oceania Cup, where teams from Australia, New Zealand, and the respective host country competed with combined teams from Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. After a long period of not being held, this Oceania Cup started again in 2021 and 2023.[11][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22] The Australian team recruited from the winner team of the Australian Clubs Championships, which, in both years, was the University of Queensland Athletic Club.[23][19]

Year City Country Date Venue No. of
Events 		No. of
Athletes
1 2001 Port Vila  Vanuatu July 14
2 2003 Apia  Samoa June 26–27 Apia Park
3 2021[24] Runaway Bay, Gold Coast  Australia 5 June Gold Coast Performance Centre
4 2023 Saipan  Northern Mariana Islands 23–24 June Oleai Sports Complex 32 +100

Masters

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Main article: Oceania Masters Athletics

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Oceania Athletics Area Championships". Oceania Athletics. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
  2. ^ Oceania Regional Championships is only 115 days away!!, OAA, February 25, 2011, retrieved March 8, 2013
  3. ^ Oceania Regional Championships Handbook - includes official program and athletes/federations competing. Updated 14 June 2011 (PDF), OAA, June 14, 2011, p. 23, retrieved March 8, 2013[permanent dead link‍]
  4. ^ Australian Team for Oceania Championships Announced, Armidale Athletic Club, 26 October 2004, archived from the original on 22 February 2014, retrieved 14 February 2014
  5. ^ "PRESS RELEASE: ENTRIES OAC 2019". OAA. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Australia and New Zealand to field strong teams at invigorated Oceania Athletics Championships". Inside the Games. 24 June 2019. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  7. ^ "OCEANIA ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS 2021". OAA. 16 February 2021. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Oceania Athletics Association Oceania Championships 2022". Oceania Athletics Association. 22 February 2022. Archived from the original on 14 June 2022.
  9. ^ "Oceania Athletics Association Oceania Athletics Championships". 10 August 2016.
  10. ^ "REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS". Oceania Athletics. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  11. ^ a b Oceania Cup / Regional Championships, OAA, retrieved March 11, 2013
  12. ^ MELANESIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, Athletics Weekly, retrieved March 11, 2013
  13. ^ MICRONESIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, Athletics Weekly, retrieved March 11, 2013
  14. ^ POLYNESIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS, Athletics Weekly, retrieved March 11, 2013
  15. ^ Snow, Bob, PNG in International Competition: 2001 - 2005, Papua New Guinea Athletics Union, retrieved February 14, 2014
  16. ^ Micronesian Team for Oceania Cup Final, OAA, 28 May 2003, retrieved February 14, 2014
  17. ^ Peter Pulu Heads Melanesian Team, OAA, 6 June 2003, archived from the original on 2014-02-22, retrieved February 14, 2014
  18. ^ Kiwis Ready for Oceania Cup Final, OAA, 9 June 2003, archived from the original on 2014-02-22, retrieved February 14, 2014
  19. ^ a b Matt Back for Second Oceania Cup Final, OAA, 23 June 2003, retrieved February 14, 2014
  20. ^ The 2003 Oceania Cup Final Competition was previewed at a special media launch in Apia, Samoa, last night., OAA, 25 June 2003, retrieved February 14, 2014
  21. ^ Oceania Cup Final - Results Days 1 and 2, OAA, 26 June 2003, retrieved February 14, 2014
  22. ^ Snow, Bob (7 July 2003), National Records Galore at Oceania Cup, OAA, retrieved February 14, 2014
  23. ^ ATHLETICS AUSTRALIA - 2001 Australian Clubs Championships, CoolRunning Australia, 17 January 2001, archived from the original on 21 February 2014, retrieved February 14, 2014
  24. ^ "Oceania Cup Review Oceania Athletics Association". 15 June 2021.
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