Tuvaluan sprinter
Karalo Hepoiteloto Maibuca Junior (born 10 June 1999) is a Tuvaluan sprinter. He is the son of Ratu Karalo Maibuca Senior, a Fijian, and a mother from Kioa.[5] He was selected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics[6] and was given the honour of being the flag bearer for his nation in the opening ceremony alongside Matie Stanley.[7] In the preliminary round of the 100m he ran a Tuvaluan national record time of 11.42 seconds, but did not qualify to the next round.[8]
Maibuca represented Tuvalu at the Pacific Mini Games in Saipan where he competed in the 100m (11.76 [-2.0]) and the 200m (23.66 [-0.9].[9]
Maibuca represented Tuvalu at the Gold Coast XXI Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the Birmingham XXII Commonwealth Games in 2022,[10] where he broke the Tuvalu national record in the 100m with a time of 11.39 [+0.6].[11] Maibuca competed in the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest, running 11.55 [0.0] in the 100 metres,[12][13] but failed to progress past the preliminary round.
Maibuca represented Tuvalu in the 2023 Pacific Games:
- In the preliminary heat of the 100 metres, he placed 6th with a time of 11.35 seconds, but not proceed in the competition.[14]
- In the preliminary heat of the 200 metres, he placed 4th with a time of 23.31 seconds; in the semifinal he placed 7th with a time of 23.66 seconds, but not proceed in the competition.[15]
- He also ran in the 4 x 100 metre relay with Kanae Saloa Malua, Londoni Tiso and Kaumoana Teaitala. In the preliminary heat the team placed 3rd with a time of 43.56 seconds; in the final the team placed 6th with a time of 43.29 seconds.[16]
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