Toea Wisil won her third straight 200m title in Samoa. Photo: Vinnie Wylie/RNZ Pacific
Papua New Guinea were the big movers on day 10 of the Pacific Games, winning 12 gold medals to rocket up to third place in the overall standings.
Six wins apiece in athletics and powerlifting brought Team PNG's overall tally to 29 gold medals with two days of competition remaining.
The 2015 hosts defended their titles in the men's and women's 4x400m relays, while sprint queen Toea Wisil became the first woman to win three straight gold medals in the women's 200m.
"Happy for my younger ones (in the 4x400m team) and to win the 4x400m means a lot to us. I know the 200m is mine but I'm proud for the four by four, " she said.
It was a big day for Team PNG at Apia Park, with Sharaon Toako winning the women's javelin, Poro Michlyn Gahekave claiming gold in the women's 1500m while Annie Topal upset compatriot and Oceania champion Rellie Kaputin to win the women's triple jump.
Meanwhile over at the Faleata Sports Complex, PNG won six of the nine categories on day one of powerlifting.
Team PNG Chef de Mission Emma Waiwai. Photo: Vinnie Wylie/RNZ Pacific
Team PNG Chef de Mission Emma Waiwai said it was by far their most successful day of the Games.
"We got what we expected to get today so I suppose that for us that's a good thing. Generally this week we've been getting the golds that we knew we were going to get."
"Last week was a bit more difficult for us. In terms of swimming we don't have Ryan Pini anymore, so I suppose that's a really big loss for us...in the water, but yes today is a really good day for us. We're all excited about the golds we got and hopefully tomorrow we will get a few more golds as well," she said.
Papua New Guinea topped the medal table in Port Moresby four years ago but, with New Caledonia already assured of top spot in Apia, Emma Waiwai admits Team PNG have a lot of work to do if they want to catch up.
"It's really up to us now at home to start to say how can we be a bit more competitive, because when we go away the first thing that needs to happen is we have to take the strongest team."
"That's probably what hasn't been happening but we brought a team that I know was very competitive for these Games - I can't take anything away from the athletes and I'm really really proud of all of them and how they've competed so far."
Papua New Guinea still have plenty of strong gold medal prospects in the final two days in Apia.
At least one title is already assured in tennis, with top seed Abigail Tere-Apisah to face off against her niece Violet Apisah in the women's singles final.
Rellie Kaputin and Annie Topal will be at it again in the women's long jump while PNG will also be defending the titles in the men's and women's 4x100m relays.
Toea Wisil (c) and Team PNG celebrate their medal haul on the track. Photo: Vinnie Wylie/RNZ Pacific
PNG fighters have also advanced to a number of finals in the boxing competition in Savai'i, while the mixed touch rugby team are looking to make it a clean sweep of gold medals at Marist Saint Joseph's Stadium.
In other results
New Caledonia managed just the one gold medal on Thursday, with Thierry Cibone defending his title in the men's para shot put, but the French territory remain out of sight atop the medal standings with more than 60 gold medals and close to 150 all up.
New Caledonia came up trumps in the men's para shot put. Photo: Pacific Games Service Roland Setu
Nauru's powerlifters also nabbed two gold medals while Samoa's former Commonwealth Games weightlifting champion Niusila Opeloge won gold in the women's 84kg division.
Australia stay in second spot with 32 gold medals after Brianna Beahan took out the women's 100m hurdles.
Australia remains second in the overall medal standings. Photo: Pacific Games Service Trina Edwards
In other results, Tonga's Mosese Foliaki added the men's hurdles title to the high jump gold he won earlier in the week, while Fiji shooter Glenn Kable defended his individual title in the DTL single barrel, with Tahiti winning the team event.
Tonga's Mosese Foliaki won his second gold medal of the Games in the men's 110m hurdles. Photo: Vinnie Wylie/RNZ Pacific
Thirteen sports are in action on the penultimate day of competition, with medals up for grabs in boxing, athletics, 3x3 basketball, tennis, shooting, netball, powerlifting, sailing, shooting, squash, tennis, volleyball and the aquathlon.
