Gold medalist Iliesa Delana of Fiji poses on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's High Jump F42 at the Paralympic Games in London
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Silver medalist Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda of India, Gold medalist Iliesa Delana of Fiji and bronze medalist Lukasz Mamczarz of Poland pose on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Men's High Jump - F42 at the Paralympics in London
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Delana was Fiji’s only athlete at London 2012 and gained hero status by winning his country’s first ever Paralympic gold medal in the high jump F42.
Going into the Games he was ranked second in the world, having also won silver at the 2011 IPC Athletics World Championships in New Zealand with a jump of 1.73m.
In London the 80,000 capacity crowd in the Olympic Stadium marvelled at his ability to jump such heights with just one leg and were left enthralled by three athletes battling it out for gold.
Starting at 1.65m, Delana cleared all heights up to 1.74m, an Oceanic record, first time with the bar raising 3cm each time. Two other athletes also reached 1.74m but all failed to clear 1.77m.
On count back Delana took gold to become the first Fijian to win any medal at the Paralympics or Olympics.
Upon returning home, Delana was welcomed by thousands of people for national celebrations, usually only reserved for visiting Heads of States. In a speech welcoming Delana back to Fiji, President Ratu Epeli Nailatikau described his as a national icon and said he brought to the country “a sense of unity and pride”.
The government announced that it would be building him a new house, to be completed before Christmas, as a gift and "token of appreciation from the Fijian Government and from all Fijians."
