Karalo Maibuca

Karalo Maibuca
Personal information
Born (1999-06-10) 10 June 1999 (age 25)
Nanumanga, Tuvalu[1]
Height1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[1]
Sport
SportTrack and field
EventSprints
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)11.35s (100 m)[2]
23.66s (200 m)[3][4]

Karalo Hepoiteloto Maibuca Junior (born 10 June 1999) is a Tuvaluan sprinter. He is the son of Ratu Karalo Maibuca Senior, a Fijian, and a mother from Kioa.[5] He was selected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics[6] and was given the honour of being the flag bearer for his nation in the opening ceremony alongside Matie Stanley.[7] In the preliminary round of the 100m he ran a Tuvaluan national record time of 11.42 seconds, but did not qualify to the next round.[8]

Maibuca represented Tuvalu at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan where he competed in the 100m (11.76 [-2.0]) and the 200m (23.66 [-0.9].[9]

Maibuca represented Tuvalu at the Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the Birmingham XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022,[10] where he broke the Tuvalu national record in the 100m with a time of 11.39 [+0.6].[11] Maibuca competed in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, running 11.55 [0.0] in the 100 metres,[12][13] but failed to progress past the preliminary round.

Maibuca represented Tuvalu in the 2023 Pacific Games:

  • In the preliminary heat of the 100 metres, he placed 6th with a time of 11.35 seconds, but not proceed in the competition.[14]
  • In the preliminary heat of the 200 metres, he placed 4th with a time of 23.31 seconds; in the semifinal he placed 7th with a time of 23.66 seconds, but not proceed in the competition.[15]
  • He also ran in the 4 x 100 metre relay with Kanae Saloa Malua, Londoni Tiso and Kaumoana Teaitala. In the preliminary heat the team placed 3rd with a time of 43.56 seconds; in the final the team placed 6th with a time of 43.29 seconds.[16]

He competed in the 100 metres at the 2024 Paris Olympics.[17]

References

  1. ^ a b "Karalo Maibuca". 2018 Commonwealth Games. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  2. ^ "100 metre Men". Sol2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  3. ^ "World Championships – Budapest 2023". Oceania Athletics. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  4. ^ "200 metre Men". Sol2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ^ Curuqara, Paulini (31 July 2021). "Fijian leads Tuvalu contingent". The Fijian Times. Retrieved 8 May 2022.
  6. ^ "Athletics MAIBUCA Karalo Hepoiteloto". Tokyo 2020. Archived from the original on 15 August 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  7. ^ "Athletics flag bearers help to light up Olympic Opening Ceremony in Tokyo". worldathletics.org. 23 July 2021. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  8. ^ "Athletics - Preliminary Round - Heat 3 Results". Tokyo 2020. Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  9. ^ "World Championships – Budapest 2023". Oceania Athletics. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  10. ^ Webster, Andrew (30 July 2022). "'I am from Tuvalu and my country is going to sink': Comm Games team you should be backing". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 30 July 2022.
  11. ^ "World Championships – Budapest 2023". Oceania Athletics. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  12. ^ "World Championships – Budapest 2023". Oceania Athletics. 17 November 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  13. ^ "Karalo Hepoiteloto MAIBUCA". Worldathletics.org. 19 August 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  14. ^ "100 metre Men". Sol2023. Retrieved 28 November 2023.
  15. ^ "200 metre Men". Sol2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  16. ^ "4x100 relay Men". Sol2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  17. ^ "Men's 100 Metres - Paris Olympic Games 2024 Athletics". Watch Athletics. 4 August 2024. Retrieved 28 December 2024.


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