Peter Pulu’s Career in Speed The name Peter Pulu is synonymous with speed in PNG. He is the fastest man our country has ever produced. This year marks two decades since Peter broke Takale Tuna’s National Record of 10.60, when he ran firstly 10.56 seconds in Flein, Germany, and then three days later smashed that time with a run of 10.40 seconds in StuttGart, Germany. No PNG runner has come close to that time in the twenty years since. Peter was born on 25th AuGust, 1975 at Arawa on BouGainville Island, North Solomons Province (as it was then known). ThrouGh his mother he is related to the late great John Kokinai, our 1970’s distance champion. At primary school, althouGh mainly a Soccer player, Peter knew that he was fast. He played striker, and always outpaced the bigGer boys. After havinG to leave his home in BouGainville and relocatinG to Rabaul, Peter started his serious runninG career at Boisen High School in East New Britain. That part of PNG had produced many top sprinters, so he was livinG in “country” that respected Athletics and valued speed. Takale Tuna and Ezekiel Wartovo had both been students at Boisen just a short time before. The rest of PNG knew that Peter was fast when he stylishly won the U17 National 100m and 200m titles at Goroka in July of 1993. He was not far from winninG his first representative honours for PNG. That came five months later at the Mini SPG in Port Vila, Vanuatu. The unheralded, young PNG athlete surprised all by winning the bronze medal in the 100m behind experienced sprinters Jone Delai (Fiji) and Subul Babo . In the 4 x 100m Relay he was part of the silver medal winninG PNG Team. From that initial overseas competition, his career took off in spectacular fashion. The next year he was a member of the PNG Team to the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia, where he competed in the 100m and 200m. He was chosen then to be a part of the IAAF World Cup Oceania Team for the competition in London. Peter also competed in the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur where he was the only PNG Athletics representative and in 2002 at the Games in Manchester where he qualified for the second round in both the 100m and 200m. In 1995 he was our representative to the World Indoor Championships in Barcelona, and then aGain in Paris (1997), Lisbon (2001) and BirminGham (2003). Peter also competed in two IAAF World Championships, the first one beinG in GoteborG, Sweden (1995) and then in Athens (1997). He was a member of Team PNG to the 1996 Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta competinG in the 100m and the 4 x 100m Relay. Peter was in his element in Oceania Championship competition and won many medals over the years. In 1998 in Nuku’alofa he won both the 100m and 200m and collected two more Gold medals for the two relay events. Two years later in Adelaide he collected Gold medals for the same four events. In 2002 in Christchurch he won both the 100m and 200m and picked-up the Gold medal for the Sprint Relay. Peter was at his most devastatinG on the track at the same time that Fiji’s Sprint King, Jone Delai, was also at his peak. In 1995 the two of them toured Europe with Fletcher McEwen and a select band of Pacific Islands athletes who were all preparing for the World Championships in GoteborG, Sweden. With expert coachinG, an appropriate level of competition, and a keen rivalry, Peter and Jone reached new heights. They both broke their National Records for the 100m and both qualified for the Atlanta Olympic Games. From the World Championships in Sweden they then travelled straiGht to Tahiti to join their respective teams for the 1995 South Pacific Games. Their rivalry continued, and they continued to run sensational times. Jone Delai had the upper hand on the day, but Peter one aGain rose to the occasion and produced another Olympic QualifyinG performance of 10.54 seconds. In the 200m Peter collected his second silver sprint medal of the Games with a time of 21.47 seconds. PNG Gained much consolation, however, in winning the Gold medal in the 4 x 100m Relay with a time of 40.29 to break the Games Record, the PNG National Record and the Pacific Islands Best Performance. It was an unexpected, but very welcome result. Peter was a member of that winninG team. The time they ran is still the PNG National Record 20 years later. Peter collected the Gold for the 100m, 200m and both relays at the 2001 Mini SPG on Norfolk Island. He was also a member of both Gold medal winninG relay teams at the 2003 South Pacific Games in Suva where we narrowly defeated the Fijians who were the stronG favourites. In his 14 year Athletics career, Peter participated with success in many other overseas and domestic competitions. Peter has certainly left his mark in the statistical record. He is the National Record holder for the followinG events – 55m (6.37 seconds), 60m (6.79 seconds), 100m (10.40 seconds) and the 150m (15.84 seconds). He is the 5th fastest over 200m (21.39) and 11th best in the LonG Jump (6.99m). In addition he is part of the PNG Team that holds the NR for the 4 x 100m Relay (40.29 seconds). Peter has the fastest seven 100m times ever recorded by a PNG athlete. In addition he still holds the National Junior Records for the 100m (10.64) and the 200m (21.51) - both created in Canada during the Commonwealth Games Tour of 1994. As a boy Peter read in the newspapers about Takale Tuna running in the Seoul Olympics (1988) aGainst the biG stars of the day such as Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis. He wondered if one day he miGht be Good enough to represent PNG at the Olympics and have the same opportunities. He did. Peter nominated meetinG his idols such as Linford Christie, Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis and runninG aGainst them in Victoria, B.C. (Commonwealth Games 1994), Gotenburg (World Championships 1995) and Atlanta (Olympic Games 1996) as one of the biggest thrills of his career. Breaking Takale’s Tuna’s National Record in the 100m also Gave Peter immense satisfaction. He has great respect for Takale. These memories still remain strong to this day. Peter now lives with his family in the Kokopo area of East New Britain and commutes reGularly to Port Moresby and Buka on business. He is still looking fit and ready to give the 100m another serious Go! He challenGed the current sprinters to prepare well and break his 100m National Record. Peter is currently workinG with younG athletes to motivate them to fulfill their true potential, and is associated with the PNG Special Olympic project. Like many former athletes, Peter is very much looking forward to taking part as an official in the July Pacific Games. It will be an opportunity for past champions to help contribute to the sport that made them household names in an earlier era. .