Vanuatu Weightlifting - VWF

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VASANOC (Vanuatu Association of Sports And National Olympic Committee)
Athlete365

The Vanuatu Weightlifting Federation (VWF) has announced that Ajah Pritchard Lolo and Thomas Wilbur have qualified to compete at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

This marks a historic achievement for the federation, with Vanuatu weightlifters qualifying directly through international ranking.

To qualify, athletes must finish inside the top eight of their Commonwealth ranking in their respective weight categories after an 18-month qualification period. Rankings are based on performances at approved international competitions, making the process highly competitive and merit-based.

VWF President and Head Coach, Simone Pritchard says the achievement reflects the strong development of athletes, increased international competition exposure, and growing high-performance partnerships within the sport.

MEDIA RELEASE
01 June 2026

The Vanuatu Weightlifting Federation (VWF) is proud to announce that Ajah Pritchard-Lolo and Thomas Wilbur have officially qualified for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The achievement marks a historic milestone for Vanuatu Weightlifting, with both athletes securing their places through the Commonwealth Games qualification system. It is the first time in the federation's history that Vanuatu weightlifters have qualified outright for the Commonwealth Games, earning their places through ranking.

To qualify, athletes were required to finish inside the top eight of the Commonwealth rankings in their respective weight categories following an 18-month qualification period. Rankings were determined through performances at sanctioned international competitions, making qualification highly competitive and based entirely on merit.

VWF President and Head Coach Simone Pritchard said the achievement reflects athlete development, international competition opportunities and strong high-performance partnerships.

"This is a landmark moment for Vanuatu Weightlifting. To have two athletes qualify outright for the Commonwealth Games by finishing inside the top eight of the Commonwealth rankings is a historic achievement for our federation and something we have never achieved before."

"Bipartite and universality pathways play an important role in providing opportunities for athletes from developing sporting nations. Those opportunities remain incredibly important, but this qualification is different. Ajah and Thomas have earned their places by ranking among the top athletes in the Commonwealth. That's a significant step forward for the athletes, our federation and weightlifting in Vanuatu."

For Pritchard-Lolo, qualification for Glasgow represents the latest achievement in an already impressive international career. In 2022, she became the first Vanuatu weightlifter to represent the nation at the Commonwealth Games when she competed in Birmingham through a bipartite invitation. Two years later, she became the first Vanuatu weightlifter to compete at the Olympic Games, representing Vanuatu at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games through a Universality Place. She now looks ahead to Glasgow 2026 as the next chapter in her international career.

Wilbur will make his Commonwealth Games debut after successfully navigating the qualification pathway and securing his place among the Commonwealth's top-ranked athletes. His qualification follows a strong international campaign and marks an important moment in his sporting career. Glasgow 2026 represents the highest-profile competition of his career to date.

Together, Pritchard-Lolo and Wilbur will become the first Vanuatu weightlifters to qualify outright for the Commonwealth Games through ranking.

"This achievement demonstrates that athletes from Vanuatu can compete at the highest levels of Commonwealth weightlifting and earn their place on merit. We are incredibly proud of what Ajah and Thomas have achieved."

"We hope this achievement shows young Ni-Vanuatu athletes what is possible. Qualifying outright for major Games is no longer something we aspire to do one day; we've now shown that it can be done."

The focus now shifts to preparation, with both athletes beginning the final phase of their campaign towards Glasgow 2026.

"Qualifying is a major achievement, but our work is not done. Our responsibility now is to ensure our athletes have every opportunity to prepare well for Glasgow and arrive ready to perform at their best and proudly represent Vanuatu."

The Vanuatu Weightlifting Federation acknowledges the support of VASANOC, Cyril Jacobe and the team at Ultimate Fitness Gym for providing a home for our athletes to train, supporters and the wider community who have contributed to this historic achievement.

As Vanuatu Weightlifting celebrates this milestone, the federation looks forward to proudly representing Vanuatu at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Media Contact
Simone Pritchard
President
Vanuatu Weightlifting Federation
[email protected]

VASANOC (Vanuatu Association of Sports And National Olympic Committee)
VBTC
Ultimate Fitness Vanuatu

Introducing Team Vanuatu 🇻🇺

Our athletes are on their way to Samoa for the Universal Weightlifting Cup and the Oceania Senior, Junior & Youth Championships. The final qualifier for Glasgow 2026.

A small team, but one built on hard work, discipline, and belief.

We would like to thank for their continued support of our athletes and program.

Proud of the work that’s gone in. Now it’s time to step onto the platform.

Let’s go!!! 😤

Follow along on our stories for competition times and updates as the team takes the platform to proudly represent Vanuatu.

🇻🇺 TEAM ANNOUNCEMENT 🇻🇺

We are proud to officially announce the athletes selected to represent Vanuatu at the upcoming competitions in Apia, Samoa.

🔥 Team Vanuatu:
Milah Dinh - W63KG
Ajah Pritchard-Lolo - W86KG
Thomas Wilbur - M110KG

Let’s get behind our team as they prepare to fly the flag high and give it everything on the platform.

Here’s when to watch our athlete compete at the 2025 IWF World Championships in Førde, Norway 🇳🇴

Ajah competes in the 86kg C session that will be streamed live on the IWF page.

Wishing you white lights on the day!!

🇻🇺🇻🇺🇻🇺

Vanuatu will be represented at their second Senior World Championships by Ajah Pritchard-Lolo in Førde, Norway 🇳🇴

Ajah is currently preparing at a training camp in Halmstad, Sweden, alongside Team New Zealand and Tonga 🇸🇪

We wish her all the best in her World’s preparation — competition details will be shared next week! 🇻🇺