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Junior world champions from Canada and Brazil were the individual stars, while Colombia and Venezuela took the team honours at the second Junior Pan American Games in Asuncion, Paraguay.

Colombia had five champions and Venezuela three as both nations finished with six medals. Cuba and Ecuador also had winners.

Charlotte Simoneau from Canada claimed the only junior world record of the week with a snatch of 110kg in winning at 69kg. Simoneau, twice a junior world champion, would have had the world record on total, too, if she had made her final attempt at 134kg.

Charlotte Simoneau (CAN)

She was a fraction short of 300 Sinclair points, ahead of the 77kg winner Maria Fernanda Mena from Colombia and 63kg champion Jessica Palacios from Ecuador in the women’s individual list.

Simoneau confidently made her first five attempts and looked good for the sixth, but she dropped the bar as the 30-second buzzer went off during the clean, and finished 110-130-240 for a sweep of junior continental records.

“I was aware of the buzzer but it didn’t distract me,” said Simoneau, who begins her studies for a degree in industrial engineering in Montreal next week. “I had a cold two days before the competition. I gave it my best but I just didn’t have the energy.”

Simoneau can try for more records in the World Championships in Norway in October, her last competition as a junior. She went to last year’s senior Worlds in Bahrain but could not lift because of a back injury, and is now looking forward to competing in a senior Worlds for the first time, in the A Group.

“I should be very well prepared because we are going for a training camp in the host town (Forde) a week before the Championships. I’m really looking forward to it,” Simoneau said.

Ella Nicholson (USA)

The top two finishers at 63kg and 77kg all made the top six in the individual rankings. Mena, who had finished fourth behind Simoneau at 71kg in the Junior Worlds, won at 77kg on 110-136-246 despite weighing in more than 4kg light. Her total was a Pan American junior record.

Ella Nicholson from the United States had led with a continental record snatch of 114kg, and would have won if she had made her final attempt at 136kg. She finished 1kg behind Mena.

At 63kg Palacios – younger sister of Neisi Dajomes and Angie Palacios – was close to tears after winning on 100-122-222, setting junior Pan American records in snatch and total. “I have been in this sport for eight years, and the preparation has been very long,” she said. “This medal is for God, for my sisters, and for my coach.”

Maria Paz Casadevall from Argentina, who was more than 2.5kg light, was second on 91-120-211.

Women’s 63kg podium

Gelen Torres made an impressive 98-115-213 in winning at 58kg for Colombia, claiming Pan American junior records in snatch and total. Colombia’s other winners were Yairan Tysforod, who set a junior continental snatch record in the women’s super-heavyweights on 113-135-248, and in the men’s events Jose Gonzalez on 130-151-281 at 65kg, and super-heavyweight Jhon Martinez on 155-202-357.

Mattheus Pessanha from Brazil was the top male performer when he put in another six-from-six performance. He finished 60kg clear of his nearest rival on 168-212-380 in the 98kg category, which will not feature again at an IWF competition after a reshuffle of the weight categories.

Pessanha, who will be 20 on Wednesday, lifted at 89kg two years ago. He moved up to 102kg last year and finished second at the Junior Worlds, then won World Juniors gold at that weight in Lima in May. After cutting down for Asuncion he will bulk up towards 110kg over the next few weeks for the World Championships.

Mattheus Pessanha (BRA) 

The top two finishers at 88kg were second and third in the individual rankings – Angel Rodriguez from Venezuela on 161-192-353 and Hainner Cordoba from Colombia, who totalled 343kg.

Rodriguez was second at 89kg at the Junior Worlds in May, where he was 4.5kg light. He was more than 2kg under the limit in Asuncion, where he missed two attempts, including a final clean and jerk of 200kg. Venezuela’s coach Henry Velasquez hailed Rodriguez as “an incredible athlete”.

“My message to young people is to fight for their dreams,” Rodriguez said. “Nothing in sports is easy, but with sacrifice and discipline, goals can be achieved. I didn’t perform as well as I expected and didn’t reach my personal bests, but I will continue working hard.”

Venezuela’s other winners were David Garcia at 71kg on 125-155-280, and Kerlys Montana, who made six from six in the women’s 53kg on 81-102-183.

Cuba’s champion was Emanuel De La Rosa, who finished 20kg clear in the 79kg category despite missing his final attempt. The teenager made 140-170-310.

The next senior Pan American Games will be in Lima, Peru in 2027.

By Brian Oliver