Jovesa Naivalu

Jovesa Seuseu "Jojo" Naivalu (born 19 March 1978)[1] is a Fiji-American athlete. In the sport of athletics, Naivalu is the Fiji national record holder in both the 110 metres hurdles and the 400 metres hurdles. He represented Fiji at the 1996 Summer Olympics and the 1996 World Junior Championships in Athletics in the 110 metres hurdles.

Jovesa Naivalu
Jovesa Naivalu in 2022
Personal information
Birth nameJovesa Seuseu Naivalu
Born19 March 1978 (1978-03-19) (age 45)
Lautoka, Fiji
Height1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
CountryFiji
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)110 metres hurdles,
400 metres hurdles
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)110 m hurdles: 13.82 (NR)
400 m hurdles: 51.67 (NR)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Fiji
World Junior Championships
Bronze medal – third place1996 Sydney110 m hurdles
(South) Pacific Games
Gold medal – first place2003 Suva 110 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place1999 Santa Rita 110 m hurdles
Silver medal – second place2007 Apia 110 m hurdles
Silver medal – second place2003 Suva 400 m hurdles
Silver medal – second place2003 Suva 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place1999 Santa Rita 400 m hurdles
(South) Pacific Mini Games
Gold medal – first place1997 Pago Pago 110 m hurdles
Gold medal – first place1997 Pago Pago 400 m hurdles
Bronze medal – third place1997 Pago Pago Triple jump
Updated on 28 April 2013.

In the sport of rugby union he represented the United States from 2000–2004 winning 10 caps.[2] He also represented the United States in rugby sevens.[3] During the 2008/09 season he played for Frankfurt SC in the Rugby-Bundesliga in Germany, making 15 appearances for the club.[4]

Biography

Naivalu was born 19 March 1978 in Lautoka, Fiji. Naivalu moved to the United States in 1986. He competed for Fremont High School in Sunnyvale, California, winning the 110 metres hurdles at the CIF California State Meet in 1995 and 1996.[5]

Naivalu was selected to the small Fiji 1996 Olympic team that year.[6] The Olympic hurdles are 3" higher than they are in high school. Naivalu finished 6th in his qualifying heat in the 110 metres hurdles.[7] Running hurdles he was used to, a month later he took a bronze medal at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics. The following year, he set the Fijian national record of 13.82 (+0.3) in the 110 metres hurdles in the qualifying round of the IAAF World Championships. He competed in the 1999 and 2003 (South) Pacific Games, winning the 110 hurdles and finishing second in the 400 metres hurdles, setting the national record 51.67 in the latter in 1999 at Santa Rita, Guam.[8]

He turned down a scholarship to the University of North Carolina.

Rugby

The Fiji Olympic Committee wasn't doling out money to support athletes, so Naivalu followed his brother Saimoni into the world of professional rugby, playing for the San Jose Seahawks. Still making a $300 a game, he had to work security for grocery stores to support himself.[9]

Defilement and imprisonment

In May 2003, Naivalu was arrested for defiling his 16-year old girlfriend. He was charged and jailed for seven years.[10] After being released from jail, he left for Fiji where he currently resides and coaches the Suva Grammar School athletics team for the Coke Games

Athletics achievements
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEventNotes
Representing  Fiji
1996 World Junior Championships Sydney, Australia 3rd 110m hurdles 13.91 s (wind: +1.8 m/s)
1997 South Pacific Mini Games Pago Pago, American Samoa 1st 110 m hurdles 13.9 s (ht) w (wind: +2.8 m/s)
1st 400 m hurdles 51.87 s
3rd Triple jump 14.49 m w (wind: +3.6 m/s)
1999 South Pacific Games Santa Rita, Guam 1st 110 m hurdles 14.32 s (wind: -1.0 m/s) GR
2nd 400 m hurdles 51.67 s
2003 South Pacific Games Suva, Fiji 1st 110 m hurdles 14.36 s (wind: -1.6 m/s)
2nd 400 m hurdles 52.50 s
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:11.82 min
2007 Pacific Games Apia, Samoa 2nd 110 m hurdles 14.79 s (wind: +1.3 m/s)

References
  1. "Profile of Jovesa NAIVALU | All-Athletics.com". Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  2. "Jovesa Seuseu Naivalu". ESPNscrum.
  3. "USA Rugby - Men's National Team 7s Appearances". Archived from the original on 24 March 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  4. "Bundesliga 2008/2009: Jovesa Naivalu". totalrugby.de. Retrieved 17 August 2011.
  5. "California State Meet Results – 1915 to present". Hank Lawson. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 25 December 2012.
  6. "One nervous track Olympian". Fiji Times. 5 June 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
  7. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 27 September 2007.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  8. "South Pacific Games".
  9. "Player Profile: J Naivalu". Archived from the original on 23 March 2012. Retrieved 28 June 2011.
  10. "TWO FORMER FIJI ATHLETES JAILED FOR U.S. RAPES". Fiji Live. Retrieved 13 May 2020.
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