Pacific weightlifters

As pressure mounts on the International Weightlifting Federation to clean up its act or risk expulsion from the Olympic family, Coffa says there are more world class lifters in the Pacific than ever, they are drug free, and the idea that there will be fewer island lifters competing in Paris is nonsense.

RNZ reports seven of the top eleven lifters in the men's 94kg weightlifting event category have now been disqualified.

David Katoatau from Kiribati is now the tenth place finisher, having initially finished 17th.

Iran's Saeid Mohammadpour will be elevated to a gold medal-winning position, having originally finished in fifth place.

Papua New Guinea's Dika Toua will now finish 12th in the women's 53kg event after Moldova's Cristina Iovu was been stripped of the bronze medal.

RNZ reports Papua New Guinea's Morea Baru finished sixth in the men's 62kg division at the Rio Olympics, with Samoa's Nevo Ioane close behind in eighth.

Samoa coach Jerry Wallwork said those results were a positive signal but there is still room for growth.

"Nevo Ioane he lifted very well. For Samoa it's the first ever male lifter making the top ten with an Olympic Games, actually making the top eight. I think his performance was fantastic, I was very happy, and it's something we can build on now for the next Olympics," he said.

Paul Coffa says despite the natural talent of the Pacific lifters, they will be facing athletes with more resources and also some who have used performance enhancing drugs in the past, which means their task will be extremely difficult.

There are 15 Oceania representatives competing in Rio and Coffa said they are all in brilliant shape.