{{Short description|Samoan weightlifter (born 1985)}} {{Infobox sportsperson | headercolor = lightgreen | image = | image_size = | caption = | birth_name = | fullname = | nickname = | nationality = | residence = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1985|7|11}} | birth_place = Apia, Samoa | height ={{height|m=1.75}} | weight ={{convert|124|kg|lb|abbr=on}} | website = | country = {{flagcountry|Samoa}} | sport = Weightlifting | event = Women's +75 kg | collegeteam = | universityteam = | club = | team = | turnedpro = | partner = | former_partner = | coach = | retired = | coaching = | worlds = | regionals = | nationals = | olympics = | highestranking = | pb = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Women's Weightlifting}} {{MedalCountry | {{SAM}} }} {{MedalCompetition|Olympic Games}} {{MedalSilver| 2008 Beijing | +75 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|Oceania Weightlifting Championships}} {{MedalGold | 2007 Apia | +75 kg}} {{MedalGold | 2008 Auckland | +75 kg}} {{MedalSilver | 2006 Apia | +75 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|Commonwealth Games}} {{MedalGold| 2010 Delhi |+75 kg}} {{MedalSilver| 2014 Glasgow |+75 kg}} {{MedalCompetition|Pacific Games}} {{MedalGold| 2007 Apia | +75 kg}} {{MedalGold| 2011 Nouméa | +75 kg}} {{MedalGold|2015 Port Moresby| +75 kg}} | show-medals = }} '''Ele Opeloge''' (born July 11, 1985)<ref name="IWF results" /> is a Samoan weightlifter. She was the first Samoan to win an Olympic medal, winning silver in the women's +75 kg category at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.<ref name=Family/>
==Family== Opeloge comes from a weightlifting family.<ref name=Family>{{cite web |url=https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/programmes/champions-of-the-pacific/audio/2018817082/meet-the-opeloges-samoa-s-first-family-of-weightlifting |title=Meet the Opeloges: Samoa's first family of weightlifting |publisher=RNZ |date=20 October 2021 |access-date=27 October 2021}}</ref> Her brother, Niusila is also a Commonwealth gold medalist, winning it the same day as her. Four other relatives have also competed at Commonwealth level.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title = Glasgow 2014 - Ele Opeloge Profile|url = http://g2014results.thecgf.com/athlete/weightlifting/1022420/ele_opeloge.html|website = g2014results.thecgf.com|accessdate = 2015-11-27}}</ref> Her twin sister is Larissa Tara. She is the mother of weightlifter Avatu Opeloge.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://samoaglobalnews.com/samoas-teenage-lifters-shine-at-pacific-mini-games-2022/ |title=Samoa's Teenage Lifters Shine at Pacific Mini Games 2022 |publisher=Samoa Global News |date=23 June 2022 |access-date=17 July 2022}}</ref>
==Career==
===2007=== At the 2007 World Championships she ranked 11th, with a combined lift of 250 kg.<ref name="IWF results">{{cite web|title=OPELOGE Ele |publisher=International Weightlifting Federation |url=http://www.iwf.net/results/results_athlete_e.php?compid=1835 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527164016/http://www.iwf.net/results/results_athlete_e.php?compid=1835 |archivedate=2011-05-27 }}</ref>
===2008=== She represented Samoa at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, competing in the over 75kg category. She was also her country's flagbearer during the Games' opening ceremony.<ref name=":0" />
Opeloge finished fourth in her event, narrowly missing out on a bronze medal. She lifted 269 kg, matching her personal best, while Mariya Grabovetskaya of Kazakhstan lifted 270 kg to finish third.<ref name="Reuters">[https://www.theguardian.com/sport/feedarticle/7730085 "Tears instead of dreams for Samoan"], Reuters, August 16, 2008</ref> In August 2016, the IWF reported in the IOC reanalysis of the 2008 Beijing Olympics that the silver and bronze medalists - Olha Korobka of Ukraine, and Mariya Grabovetskaya - had failed retests of their doping samples. The IWF later reallocated medals accordingly,<ref name=IWF1>http://www.iwf.net/results/results-by-events/?event=21 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120802023905/http://www.iwf.net/results/results-by-events/?event=21 |date=2012-08-02 }} IWF Results by Events. XXIX OLYMPIC GAMES</ref> elevating Opeloge to become the silver medalist and also the first-ever Olympic medalist from Samoa.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Samoan weightlifter Ele Opeloge could be about to win her country's first ever Olympic medal | date = 25 August 2016 | url = http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/olympics/83572649/samoan-weightlifter-ele-opeloge-could-be-about-to-win-her-countrys-first-ever-olympic-medal | accessdate = 2016-08-27}}</ref>
Opeloge is a celebrity in Samoa, "where children approach her in the supermarket for autographs".<ref name="Reuters" />
===2010=== Opeloge won a gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, India in the +75 kg class with a Games record combined lift of 285 kg.<ref name=hindu>{{cite news|url=https://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/Ele-Opeloge-gives-Samoa-second-gold-medal/article15775843.ece|title=Ele Opeloge gives Samoa second gold medal|work=The Hindu|last=Sabanayakan|first=S.|date=11 October 2010|access-date=1 August 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.deccanherald.com/content/103956/opeloge-siblings-have-field-day.html|title=Opeloge siblings have a field day|work=Deccan Herald|access-date=10 October 2010|archive-date=22 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622033143/http://www.deccanherald.com/content/103956/opeloge-siblings-have-field-day.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was also Samoa's second gold medal in the history of the Games.<ref name=hindu/>
===2012=== Opeloge took 5th place in the London Olympics.<ref>{{Cite web|title = Ele Opeloge Bio, Stats, and Results|url = https://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/op/ele-opeloge-1.html|website = Olympics at Sports-Reference.com|accessdate = 2015-11-27|url-status = dead|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20151002191518/http://www.sports-reference.com/olympics/athletes/op/ele-opeloge-1.html|archivedate = 2015-10-02}}</ref> Her build up to the Olympics were disrupted by chicken pox and typhoid.<ref name=":0" />
=== 2014 === Opeloge was the Samoan flagbearer for the 2014 Commonwealth Games,<ref name="cd">{{cite web |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-24/pacific-athletes-hit-glasgow-opening/5620514 |title=Pacific athletes 'honoured' to carry national flags at Commonwealth Games opening ceremony |publisher=ABC |date=24 July 2014 |access-date=26 September 2021}}</ref> as well as being one of the baton carriers as the Queen's baton made its way through Samoa.<ref name=":0" /> At the Games she won the silver medal in the +75 kg category.<ref name=":0" />
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{sports links}} * {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080810130039/http://results.beijing2008.cn/WRM/ENG/BIO/Athlete/4/8002444.shtml |date=August 10, 2008 |title=Athlete Biography at beijing2008 }}
{{Footer Commonwealth Games Champions Weightlifting Women Super Heavyweight}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Opeloge, Ele}} Category:Living people Category:1985 births Category:Samoan female weightlifters Category:Weightlifters at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Weightlifters at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists for Samoa Category:Olympic weightlifters for Samoa Category:Weightlifters at the 2012 Summer Olympics Category:Weightlifters at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists for Samoa Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Category:Olympic medalists in weightlifting Category:Olympic silver medalists for Samoa Category:Medallists at the 2010 Commonwealth Games Category:Medallists at the 2014 Commonwealth Games Category:Pacific Games gold medalists for Samoa Category:Pacific Games medalists in weightlifting Category:Commonwealth Games gold medallists in weightlifting Category:Commonwealth Games silver medallists in weightlifting