OIA PRESS RELEASE

Marshallese Athlete Makes History

RMINOC July 2008 - Anju Jason, 20, born and raised in the Marshall Islands and currently living and training in Honolulu, Hawaii has qualified for the Olympics in Beijing.  He has been training with his coach, Brian McCutcheon, for the last ten years and has attained his second-degree black belts in the sport of taekwondo.  He has consistently medaled in US national events.

Anju Jason represented the Marshall Islands Taekwondo Federation (MITF) and Marshall Islands National Olympic Committee (MINOC) when he participated in the Oceania Olympic Selection event to select athletes for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, which was held on 1st December 2007 in Noumea, New Caledonia.

He earned the gold medal in his weight class, defeating athletes from both Australia and New Zealand.  His gold medal win qualifies him to represent RMI and compete at the Olympic Games in Beijing.  It also earned him a place of honor in the RMI history books as the first Marshallese athlete to ever qualify for an Olympic Games.  The Olympic Games will be held in Beijing from August 8-24; this is also the first ever Olympic Games in which the Marshall Islands will be participating.