Transcript
JERRY WALLWORK: Ele is probably our best every athlete and even her performance at the Olympic Games was the best ranked. I was informed last night and also I found out the positive results of the 15 tested and yes it is fantastic news. It's come eight years later - you've lost the glory - but still a medal is a medal and all credit must be given to Ele Opeloge for that. Automatically she gets bumped up to a silver medal and we just have to wait for the official confirmation and the official advice but it's there - the two girls are positive - so it's great news and fantastic news for Samoa.
VINNIE WYLIE: I guess it's a case of mixed reactions when something like this happens - you feel sort of vindicated in that regard and anyone that has doped is found out but, as you say, it's not quite like standing on the dais at the Games?
JW: It's certainly not the same - you've lost the whole hype of building up for the Games but a medal's a medal and it has to be recognised and I think for Samoa it's put us on the map - a silver medal just made history. For weightlifting in the Pacific this will be the first medal at the Olympic Games so I think for all lifters in the Pacific it's something that, it represents all of us.
VW: There's been such coverage of course of Fiji's stunning gold medal in the sevens rugby in Rio, there's been so much talk about how long it's been since the Pacific won a medal with Paea Wolfgramm for Tonga in boxing, and low and behold, all along, we had Ele Opeloge just waiting in the wings?
JW: I know, I know, it's fantastic news but then again, like I said, we've got to wait for the official confirmation but according to the tests that have been positive and the names that are there, the two girls, the silver and bronze medallists, are on the positive list. For us it's fantastic news and we're just looking forward to the time when they officially confirm. I'm sure Samoa will put on a big welcoming for Ele, bring her back and make sure the presentation is done what she deserves.
VW: And you've spoken to her - what was her reaction?
JW: Oh she couldn't believe it. She really couldn't believe it. She kept thanking god for all this coming true and I said, "yes we worked hard, we were there, we had the medal. This is just - that's it. You deserved it, you worked hard," and I have to say that we train in the Pacific and we train hard and it's really not fair that we keep having to go up against big countries that are still taking these banned substances. It's not fair - we've been doing this for years and I think it's time that this needs to stop.
Mr Wallwork says it could take up to a month for final confirmation of the medal being awarded to Opeloge.