Teuruaa turned 24 on Friday, the day he concluded his events. He finished 11th overall in the men’s decathlon with a new Cook Islands record of 6434 points, breaking his previous record of 6337 set in March, and equalled his pole vault record of 4 metres.

“This competition meant a lot to me. I came into it knowing I was in good condition and that I was ready to put everything on the line. My goal was the decathlon national record and as many personal bests as I could grab,” he told Cook Islands News from Glasgow yesterday.

“This was an amazing opportunity for me. There aren’t many other ways to better spend a birthday. The crowd were even singing to me at one point. It means so much to be doing what I love on a day so special.”

Teuruaa set a new national decathlon record with a series of personal bests and an equalled pole vault mark – his 10th national record in 2026, according to the Cook Islands Sports and National Olympic Committee (CISNOC).

He was among the two-thirds of the national team who made their debut at the Commonwealth Games, a quadrennial event featuring athletes from across the Commonwealth that concludes tomorrow.

Teuruaa opened the competition by running the 100-metre sprint in 11.18 seconds. He followed with personal bests 6.64-metre-long jump, an 11.31m mark in the shot put and a time of 51.95 seconds in the 400m.

Later, Teuruaa cleared 4m in the pole vault to equal his national record, before setting a personal best in the javelin with a 49.81m throw. He capped off the multi-event contest with a 4:46.67 finish in the 1500m to tally a record-breaking total of 6434 points.

“After facing some injuries during high jump on day 1, I can’t complain with how the rest of my events went,” he said.

“I’m happy with how I ran in the 100 metres and 110 metre hurdles and even the 400 metres considering I had to run into gusting winds.

“My long jump was a highlight of my time here. Even though my jumps had wind pushing me, I’m happy I soared over 6.50 metres for the first time. And my shot put went well, with a 20cm personal best.

“As for the rest. Some events didn’t hit the mark. But I’m happy with how everything ended and can only do more next time.”

Teuruaa, who hails from Matavera, Rarotonga and was born and raised in Kaukapakapa, Aotearoa New Zealand, has been competing in track and field events ever since he was a young child.

In addition to his decathlon and pole vault records, he also holds the Cook Islands national records in the 60-metre and 110-metre hurdles.

“I can’t wait for the next big hit out at Oceania Decathlon Champs in January 2027. And of course, the Tahiti Pacific Games later that year,” Teuruaa said. “I’m making big changes between now and then so let’s see some bigger numbers soon.”