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Isireli Naikelekelevesi (born 17 December 1976) is a Fijian former middle-distance runner who specialised in the 800 metres. He is the Fijian national record holder in that event.[1]
Born in Suva,[2] he represented his country at the Summer Olympics in 1996, 2000 and 2004. In 1996 he anchored a 4 × 400 metres relay team including Soloveni Nakaunicina, Henry Semiti and Solomone Bole, while in the latter two years he ran in the heats of the 800 m.[2] He competed in the 800 m heats at the 2001 World Championships in Athletics and also appeared at the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and 2002 (reaching the semi-finals on his second attempt).[3] He ran for Fiji at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in both 1996 and 1998.[4]
His greatest successes came at regional level. He began with a 5000 metres bronze at the 1994 Oceania Junior Athletics Championships.[5] He won three back-to-back middle-distance doubles at the South Pacific Games (1995, 1999, 2003) and also claimed a 400 metres bronze and relay silver in 2003.[6] He remains the Games record holder in the 800 m. At the South Pacific Mini Games, he won a middle-distance double and took steeplechase bronze. The following edition in 2001 brought a sweep from 400 m to 1500 m and a fourth gold in the relay. At the 2005 edition he was edged out in the 1500 m by Samoa's Setefano Mika, but retained his 800 m and relay titles.[7]
At the Oceania Athletics Championships he was a mainstay of distance running for a decade. He won his first 5000 metres title at the 1996 Oceania Athletics Championships and also won silver in the 10,000 metres. He won the 800 m title in 2000, but was beaten into second by New Zealander Gareth Hyett in 2002. He was again 800 m runner-up in 2006 finishing behind Samoa's Aunese Curreen.[8]
In his last major international events he took two middle-distance silver medals behind Curreen at the 2007 Pacific Games and 2008 Oceania Athletics Championships.[9]
- 400 metres – 48.86 (2001)
- 800 metres – 1:48.70 min (2004) NR
- 1500 metres – 3:53.22 min (2003)
- Mile run – 4:14.24 min (2004) NR
- 5000 metres – 16:42.3 min (1994)
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | IAAF World Cross Country Championships | Stellenbosch, South Africa | 257th | Senior race | 44:18 |
| Olympic Games | Atlanta, United States | 6th (h) | 4 × 400 m relay | 3:10.67 | |
| Oceania Athletics Championships | Townsville, Australia | 1st | 5000 m | 15:54.65 | |
| 2nd | 10,000 m | 35:27.94 | |||
| 1998 | Commonwealth Games | Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia | 5th (h) | 800 m | 1:50.66 |
| 1999 | IAAF World Cross Country Championships | Belfast, United Kingdom | 153rd | Senior race | 51:11 |
| 127th | Short race | 15:15 | |||
| 2000 | Olympic Games | Sydney, Australia | 7th (h) | 800 m | 1:49.61 |
| Oceania Championships | Adelaide, Australia | 1st | 800 m | 1:51.49 | |
| 2001 | World Championships | Edmonton, Canada | 6th | 800 m | 1:50.74 |
| 2002 | Commonwealth Games | Manchester, United Kingdom | 8th (sf) | 800 m | 1:50.00 |
| Oceania Championships | Christchurch, New Zealand | 2nd | 800 m | 1:54.11 | |
| 2004 | Olympic Games | Athens, Greece | 7th (h) | 800 m | 1:49.08 |
| 2006 | Oceania Championships | Apia, Samoa | 2nd | 800 m | 1:55.30 |
| 2008 | Oceania Championships | Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands | 2nd | 800 m | 1:53.48 |
| 2nd | 1500 m | 4:03.79 |
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