World Weightlifting’s new issue has appeared
In the 2011/3 edition readers can find a special Report on the 2011 IWF World Championships Paris, France. The Spanish version is also out! You can subscribe to World Weightlifting by contacting the
Attending the 2011 IWF World Championships
Moment of the Year by Kulsoom Abdullah People asked me what the experience was like? My weightlifting journey started by myself, I was determined to build strength. I did what I could do on my own, finding information on the Internet, such as resources for women’s weightlifting without a traditional commercial gym bias. I could not go heavy, drop weights, or use chalk, let alone, learn how to clean and jerk. Completing my graduate studies, I needed to find a gym outside of my university. I ultimately did find a gym (Crossfit Atlanta) that had weightlifters teaching the Olympic lifts, so I gained support, no longer alone in my efforts. It took over 2 years of training and encouragement from my trainers, because I thought I was not good or strong enough, till I finally had the confidence to compete. My next personal struggle, after achieving a qualifying total, was attending national meets in religious covering. After the IWF ruling and attending national qualifying meets, I learned more about the sport and met other weightlifters in the USA. This led to my memorable experience: attending the 2011 World Weightlifting Championships. There I observed and experienced the different facets of the sport. It is not just about who lifts the most and wins, though the medalists are to be commended for their time, efforts and success. I felt the energy of the audience cheering for the athletes, from their home country or their competitors, who vicariously felt their success and disappointments. Meeting people from so many countries was a great experience. Though a competition, everyone was friendly and encouraging - coaches, athletes, officials and spectators. People from different countries/teams interacted like old friends. People asked me what the experience was like? How much do the other ladies lift? Everyone is surprised and very few realize the magnitude achieved. Many have a stereotype of a weightlifter’s appearance. Brute strength is not only involved - skill, speed and power is also required to defy gravity on the platform. I hope to continue relaying the spirit of sporting competition to others, encouraging them that when one puts time and effort, regardless of who you are, what you can do is beyond expectations. Kulsoom Abdullah Kulsoom Abdullah is a Pakistani-American computer engineer (she finished her PhD in Electrical/Computer Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta), who has been training weightlifting for three years. Kulsoom first attended World Championships in Paris in 2011. Send your Most Memorable Moment of 2011 to Dezso Dobor, IWF Media Officer ([email protected]) or the IWF Secretariat in order to be
Membership Fee Reminder
According to the IWF Constitution, the Annual Membership Fee of the IWF is due by the end of January 2012. Please make sure that your National Federation transfers the amount to the IWF otherwise your lifters will not be allowed to participate in upcoming IWF competitions including Continental Qualification
The last wish of a father
Moment of the Year by Paul Coffa What a tragic World Championships it was for a young weightlifter from Palau, Stevick Patris – especially as it was his first ever World Championships. This young athlete had been coached by his father ‘Steve Patris’ the President of the Palau Weightlifting Federation and Category 1 Referee, since the age of 14. The Patris family has a long history in the Pacific region as a weightlifting family. Steve Patris took over the Presidency of the Weightlifting Federation in Palau in the year 2000. First, he coached his two daughters Alexandra and Alexandrina, affectionately known as the Patris twins in the region. These two girls won many medals competing at Pacific Games, Mini Games, Oceania Championships and other major events. In fact Alexandrina competed in the 63kg category at the 2007 World Championships in Thailand. These twins, with similar names, are identical. They are so identical that many times they caused problems and confusion at the weigh-in. When their father Steve brought the twins to the Institute to train, I had to ask one twin to put a colored ribbon in her hair because I had no idea which one was. Some days, just to be cheeky they would swap the ribbon and whilst I thought I was speaking to Alexandra, I was actually speaking to her twin sister Alexandrina. Early in 2011, we found out that Steve Patris was not well. He sent me an email requesting assistance for his son Stevick with his preparation for the Pacific Games which were to be held in New Caledonia in September 2011. At the time I was not aware of the extent of Steve’s illness. So with the assistance of the Palau Olympic Committee, young Stevick Patris came to train at the Institute in New Caledonia. He arrived in the June at the age of 19, at a bodyweight of 62kg and was doing 95kg Snatch and 120kg Clean & Jerk. By the Pacific Games on September 4th, Stevick won a silver medal in the Clean & Jerk with 131kg and a bronze medal in the Total with 233kg. He competed against lifters like Manuel Minginfel from Micronesia one of the best Oceania lifters ever and silver medallist in the Clean & Jerk at the 2006 World Championships in Santo Domingo. Stevick’s father, Steve was absolutely delighted when told that his son had won two medals in New Caledonia. And from his bedside he requested the Palau Olympic Committee that young Stevick stay at the Institute to prepare for the 2011 IWF World Championships Paris, France. During this period of time, Steve’s health deteriorated rapidly. He asked that no matter what happens that young Stevick was to continue with his training and compete in Paris. But what we didn’t know was just how sick he was then. Very sadly only a few days before Stevick was to leave for Paris, he received a telephone call from the family to inform him that his father had passed away. “And that his father’s last wish was for his son to compete in the World Championships in Paris”. The family postponed the funeral, so that young Stevick could compete in Paris. He returned to Palau immediately after competing for the funeral. It was a tragedy for this young lifter to compete under these conditions. Furthermore, the return flight was 30 hours from Paris to Palau as he travelled alone to return for his father’s funeral. Yet the admiration he gained for his bravery was immense from his fellow regional lifters, for competing under these circumstances. The World Championships proved to be too much for young Stevick. Unfortunately he only succeeded with his first Snatch and first Clean & Jerk and came last in the 62kg category. I suppose those lifters and officials who took part in that particular session, would have judged young Stevick’s performance as “below standard”. But for those who knew his circumstances, his courage and efforts, to all of us, was a gold medal performance. Regardless of his performance and his placing at the World Championships, young Stevick had fulfilled his father’s dream. Paul Coffa OWF GENERAL SECRETARY Send your Most Memorable Moment of 2011 to Dezso Dobor, IWF Media Officer ([email protected]) or the IWF Secretariat in order to be
Rodmar Pulis Received the Malta Olympic Committee Special Award
In December the Malta Olympic Committee organized the 10th edition of the Sport Malta Awards where Rodmar Pulis received the MOC Special Award for his outstanding success reached in weightlifting trough 2011. Rodmar Pulis and Nicole Gatt weightlifters are both in semi-final for the 2011 Sport Malta Awards for the Best Youth Athlete. Jesmond Caruana weightlifting TO is in the semi-final for the Best Official of the year. The Sport Malta Awards will be held on Saturday 21st January 2012. Link to Malta Sport Awards:
Rodmar Pulis Received the Malta Olympic Committee Special Award
In December the Malta Olympic Committee organized the 10th edition of the Sport Malta Awards where Rodmar Pulis received the MOC Special Award for his outstanding success reached in weightlifting trough 2011. Rodmar Pulis and Nicole Gatt weightlifters are both in semi-final for the 2011 Sport Malta Awards for the Best Youth Athlete. Jesmond Caruana weightlifting TO is in the semi-final for the Best Official of the year. The Sport Malta Awards will be held on Saturday 21st January 2012. Link to Malta Sport Awards:
