Gold, silver for Simon and Landen; 5th for Tania on CNMI’s final day

Team CNMI finished on top in the Land Down Under on their final day of competition at the 2026 Oceania Athletics Championships, earning two medals—a gold and a silver—from standouts Simon Tang and Landen Taflinger today, Friday, May 22.

Tang, who won a silver medal yesterday in the 400m hurdles, added to his medal count with gold in the 110m hurdles after clocking 15.02 seconds. Tonga’s Eric Tuiono took second place with a time of 16.16 seconds.

Taflinger, who also won silver yesterday along with setting the national record in the 800m, is now a double silver medalist after finishing the 1,500m in 4:25.23—a new personal best. In the competitive women’s 5,000m race, Tania Tan narrowly missed the podium with a fifth-place finish of 18:02.68.

Yesterday, Theodore Rodgers set a new personal best of 23.67 seconds in the 200m.

Earlier in the week, on Tuesday, May 19, 16-year-old Addalee Taflinger set a personal best by a couple of seconds in the Women’s U18 1,500m after clocking 5:28.32. Meanwhile, Tania Tan came close to breaking the national record in the 1,500m with a time of 4:55.79.

On opening day, Monday, May 18, Taflinger made her international debut for the CNMI in the Women’s U18 800m and finished in 2:31.55. In the field events, NMI record-holder and Micronesian Games gold medalist Maria Quitugua recorded a best throw of 32.44m on her first attempt.

The competition is until tomorrow, but Team CNMI wraps up their campaign today.

Stay tuned for the full story.