Kiribati NOC sending three athletes to compete at Tokyo 2020 Olympics

Ruben Katoatau is one of three athletes set to compete for Kiribati at Tokyo 2020 ©Getty Images

The Kiribati National Olympic Committee has confirmed the three athletes who will represent the nation at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

The three-athlete delegation will equal the nation's biggest ever.

One is weightlifter Ruben Katoatau, who is currently training in Nauru ahead of the Games.

The 24-year-old competed at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games in the men's 69-kilogram final, finishing sixth in a field of 14.

He is the younger brother of Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion David Katoatau who competed at three Olympic Games, having a best result of 14th at Rio 2016 in the men's 105kg.

Kataoatau has qualified for Tokyo 2020 after Samoan weightlifter Vaipava Nevo Ioane - who took the Oceania spot in the International Weightlifting Federation Absolute Continental Ranking - withdrew from the Games.

Samoa is only sending overseas athletes to Japan because of the coronavirus crisis.

One of the I-Kiribati athletes joining Kataoatau in Tokyo is set to be judoka Kinaua Biribo, who is training in Hungarian capital Budapest in Hungary ahead of the Games.

Biribo is set to compete in the women's under-70kg category, having recently taken part in the World Judo Championships in Budapest.

The world number 177 lost to Ukraine's Nataliia Chystiakova in the opening round of the tournament.

Kiribati’s Lataisi Mwea is headed to the @Tokyo2020 Olympic Games.

Lataisi has been preparing for the Games in Australia courtesy of #PacificAusSports funding.https://t.co/8KcnZXvMl8 #Tokyo2020 #OceaniaWarriorsToTokyo #TeamKiribati #DFAT #OceaniaTogether #ONOC40
— Oceania National Olympic Committees (ONOC) (@oceaniaolympic) July 1, 2021

Finally, 20-year-old Lataisi Mwea is set to compete in athletics for Kiribati.

Mwea was granted a universality place in the men's 100 metres.

Supported by the Australian Government's Pacific Aus Sports programme, Mwea has been living, training and competing in Australia ahead of the Olympics.

Since 2019 he has been based at the Oceania Athletics Association High Performance Training Centre in Gold Coast for a high jump scholarship and set a new national record of 2.00 metres before switching to sprints.

In 2021 he set a new national record in the men's 200 metres with a time of 22.54sec, but will compete in the 100m in Tokyo.

Mwea set a new wind-legal personal best this year of 11.21.

Kiribati made its Olympic debut at Athens 2004 and has not yet won a medal, but this will be the fifth Summer Games in a row where it has sent athletes.