Micronesian Games · Lablypedia

The four states of the Federated States of Micronesia – Chuuk, Kosrae, Pohnpei and Yap – field separate teams at the games. The other entrants are the independent countries of Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru and Palau, and the U.S. territories of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands. The inaugural games were held in 1969 featuring the six districts of the U.S.-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. The second edition was not held until 1990, but the games have since been held every four years (with the exception of the COVID-19 pandemic).

History

The inaugural games were held in 1969 in Saipan, Northern Mariana Islands, under the name MicrOlympics (or Micronesian Olympics). The competition was limited to the six districts of the US-administered Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. It was a collaboration of local residents and American Peace Corps volunteers and featured a strong American influence, with the opening ceremony held on the Fourth of July and several U.S. military units playing a role.

The second edition edition of the Micronesian Games did not take place until 1990, by which time the region had undergone major political changes. Guam first participated in that year, while non-US territories were then invited later in the 1990s with Nauru (1994) and Kiribati (1998) making their debuts.

The 2010 Micronesian Games were initially due to be held in Majuro (Marshall Islands), until the hosts withdrew. The 2010 Games were hosted by Palau. The Federated States of Micronesia won the bidding to host the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei State, and later won again against CNMI for the 2018 Micronesian Games, held in Yap State.

After the 2018 Micronesian Games in Yap State, the Republic of the Marshall Islands was set to host the 10th edition of the Micronesian Games in Majuro; but due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Majuro MicroGames was pushed back to 2023. Following a May 23 virtual meeting of the Micronesian Games Council, the 10th MicroGames was moved to June 15–24, 2024 in Majuro.

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All-time medal table

Source: As of March 19, 2023.

Editions

Competitors

Participants include four sovereign countries (the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and Palau), a commonwealth in political union with the United States (the Northern Mariana Islands), an organized unincorporated territory of the United States (Guam), and the four constituent States of the Federated States of Micronesia (Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae and Yap, which compete separately from one another).

These ten countries, States and territories are all located within the Micronesian region of Oceania.

All participants also take part in the Pacific Games, although the Federated States of Micronesia competes as a unified country there.

Events

Athletes compete in the fields of athletics, baseball, basketball, beach volleyball, fast pitch softball, association football, golf, slow pitch softball, spearfishing, swimming, table tennis, triathlon, va'a canoe, volleyball and wrestling, as well as the "Micronesian all-around", which includes events like coconut tree climbing and coconut husking.

The Micronesian Games thus combine events that may be found in other international competitions with events more specific to Micronesian countries.

Micronesian all-around

The Micronesian all-around (sometimes shortened to Micro all-round) is an unusual multi-event contest practiced at the Micronesian Games, a kind of pentathlon featuring skills from a traditional island lifestyle. The 2018 version included the following events:

Coconut climbing (men only): Participants climb up and down three coconut trees in the fastest possible time.
Coconut husking: Participants remove the husks from 10 coconuts as fast as possible.
Coconut grating (women only): Participants fully grate five of the coconuts they had earlier husked, again in the fastest possible time.
Swimming: A race that starts with running from shore into the water, a swim and a short underwater swim to a target, and then a swim back to shore.
Diving: Participants free dive to retrieve five objects from the sea bottom in the fastest possible time.
Spear throwing: Participants throw spears at targets placed in the water.