News

DPR Korea had its sixth winner in six days at the IWF World Cup in Phuket when Rim Un Sim beat her team-mate Ri Suk in the women’s 64kg.

That means their remarkable tally since PRK returned to international weightlifting seven months ago is 32 gold medals on total and 27 world records.

This time, despite two attempts by Ri and one by Rim, there were no world records. The one they both went for was Ri’s clean and jerk of 146kg.

Rim Un Sim (PRK) – Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Ri failed twice at 147kg and finished 108-140-248. That was the lowest of her three totals since she returned to the platform after a four-year absence in December, and the first time she had been beaten.

The Asian Games champion Rim missed once at 147kg, making 114-144-258.

Svitlana Samuliak from Ukraine was third on 101-120-221. Tenishia Thornton, the 18-year-old from Malta, made all six lifts for career-best numbers across the board on 90-111-201 in fifth place.

The women’s 64kg podium – Photo by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Although there was no Olympic category A Group there was more drama in qualifying when Kyle Bruce won a head-to-head battle with fellow Australian Oliver Saxton on his final lift.

Barring an extraordinary series of results in today’s 89kg A Group, a trip to Paris is Bruce’s prize. Continental qualifying places go to the highest ranked athlete from any continental federation not represented in the top 10 of each weight category. Asia, Europe, Pan America and Africa all have athletes in the top six at 89kg.

Saxton, who knew nothing about Olympic qualifying until less than a year ago, was on course for Paris after making career bests across the board for 150-185-335 in the D Group. That set the target at 336kg for Bruce in the C Group.

Oliver Saxton (AUS) with his parents and girlfriend – Photo by Brian Oliver

About two hours later Bruce missed his first two attempts to make the 187kg clean and jerk he needed. He did it with the third, as Saxton, his parents and girlfriend all watched in the audience.

The only threat to Bruce is if Karim Abokahla from Egypt, sixth in the rankings, is knocked out of the top 10 on Saturday night and Africa takes the continental place. Even in a competition as extraordinary as the World Cup, that is highly unlikely. Abokahla is confident enough to chase medals at 96kg rather than lift at 89kg.

Saxton, 20, whose parents were both international lifters for Britain and Australia, said, “Less than a year ago I was maybe thinking about buying a ticket to go watch in Paris, but as for competing, I didn’t even know anything about qualifying.”

Paul Coffa, the Oceania Federation general secretary who coaches Australia’s top lifter Eileen Cikamatana, sat down at dinner at a training camp and told Saxton he could join in.  

Saxton ditched plans to go to the World Juniors in Mexico, and lifted at five qualifiers in seven months starting with the World Championships in Saudi Arabia last September.

Kyle Bruce (AUS) with his coaches – Photo by Brian Oliver 

Bruce said, “Congratulations to Oliver. He pushed me extremely hard. I thought it was going to be a piece of cake until he came along and shaped up. That takes a lot of resilience in someone so young. He has a great career ahead in the sport.

“It’s good for us to be pushing each other and it’s good for Australian weightlifting. He got a new best competition total and so did I. It wasn’t a really big weight for me, 187, but I rushed the first two before calming down to make the last one.

“I’m number one in Oceania and I’m confident of being in Paris but it’s not over yet. I feel like the top ten’s pretty much done, certainly the top six. I’ll come tomorrow night to watch and enjoy it.”

Bruce was especially happy to have his coach Ali Azari with him in Phuket. “He’s coached me since I was 16. He took me under his wing after my father passed away and I had nothing. He’s like a father to me now and I’m so happy he’s here to see – hopefully – my qualification for the Olympics.”

By Brian Oliver