Moana Kervella becomes first French Polynesian Athletics Official at the Olympic Games.
Oceania Athletics Association would like to acknowledge Moana Kervella of French Polynesia and French Athletics Federation on his appointment as a Chief Judge at the 2024 Olympic Games.
Moana, a World Athletics Silver Referee, will serve as one of the Chief Judges in the horizontal jumps during the games. Initially appointed to the technical official pool in November, it was on March 26th Moana was appointed to the Chief Judges Panel in the horizontal jumps. Moana will be the first French Polynesian Official to officiate at an Olympic Games in athletics.
“What a surprise when I discovered the assignment in this message from Paris 2024 on March 26, Chief judge of one of the two horizontal jumps juries, I can tell you that at the time I couldn’t believe my eyes, taken out of emotion I closed the file to reopen it a few minutes later, and search for my name again and it was still Chief Judge of the 2nd horizontal jumps jury, no more doubts. Quickly came to my mind all the good times spent at the stadium since 2000, a great feeling of happiness, of pride at this recognition from the organization. And a few moments later a strong feeling of apprehension, swept away today, these are still the Olympic Games the biggest athletics competition, and seeing up close all these athletes of the long jump, the triple jump, the heptathlon, the decathlon, judging them, what joy.”
Moana’s journey to the officiating at the Olympic Games began as a road runner back in 90s, “I got a taste for athletics again in 1996 at the age of 35, started running on the road following the exploits of George Richmond at the 1995 Pacific Games.”
It was in the 2000s that his keen interest in the rules and regulations guided Moana towards officiating. “I started practicing on the tracks counting 2000s under the leadership of Titaua Maurin. I passed my first technical official exam in 2003 under the direction of the late French Edouard Eskenazi ITO and was subsequently appointed as a federal referee. since then I have been present at almost all PYF competitions and I have taken advantage of all the opportunities offered in particular by OAA (Yvonne Mullins) in order to progress”
Moana’s Progress as an official across the years:
2011 – AIMS Grade C, has since measured all official road races in French Polynesia
2014 – TOECS Level II, at the ATO panel from 2014 to 2017
2015 – ITO at Oceania Athletics Championships in Cairns – Meeting Manager at the Pacific Games in Port-Moresby including the official measurement of the modification of the half-marathon course
2016 – Lecturer TOECS Level I – Track referee at the Polynesian Oceania in Tahiti – Best Polynesian technical official – Combined referee at the Melanesian Oceania in Fiji
2017 – TOECS Level II
2022 – WARECS – awarded Bronze referee
2023 – WARECS – awarded Silver Referee
2024 Paris Olympic Games
Congratulations Moana on your achievements.
Bonne Chance Moana!
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