Simplice Ribouem and Tia-Clair Toomey lift their way to Rio Olympic Games

CAMEROON-born weightlifter Simplice Ribouem and former Cross-Fit star Tia-Clair Toomey are off to Rio as Australia’s Olympic representatives this year.

Simplice Ribouem — getting some help during training from sons Samuel, 4, and Nathan, 3, — has booked himself a ticket to Rio. Picture: Alex Coppel

CAMEROON-born weightlifter Simplice Ribouem and former Cross-Fit star Tia-Clair Toomey are off to Rio as Australia’s Olympic representatives this year.

Victorian Ribouem and Queenslander Toomey both secured their nomination to the team at the Oceania selection trials in Fiji over the weekend.

Their performances have denied two-time Olympian Damon Kelly and Commonwealth Games gold bronze medallist Erika Ropati-Frost a spot in Rio in August.

Ribouem, who competed for Cameroon at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, later sought asylum and won gold at the 2010 Commonwealth Games for Australia.

He won silver in Glasgow in 2014 but battled malaria in 2015 before mounting his charge towards Rio where he lifted 5kg more than he needed just to qualify.

Toomey was runner-up at the Cross-Fit world games in 2015 and only started weightlifting seriously 18 months ago.

She shot into Olympic contention in December when she smashed her personal best which saw her leapfrog Ropati-Frost in the race for Rio selection.

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Originally published as Simplice Ribouem and Tia-Clair Toomey lift their way to Rio Olympic Games