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Venezuela had another hugely impressive winner at the IWF World Junior Championships in Ismailia, Egypt when Mauricio Loaiza made all six attempts to take the 94kg title in his first competition outside Latin America.

Loaiza was Venezuela’s second champion in successive days after Angel Rodriguez won at 88kg on Wednesday.

Anamjan Rustamova from Turkmenistan came out on top in the closest finish yet at these Championships to win the women’s 86kg. After singing her anthem at the medal ceremony, Rustamova, who will be 20 on Friday, revealed the key to her success.

Anamjan Rustamova (TKM)

“I gave up my mobile phone for two months at training camp to focus only on my preparations,” she said. “It was my decision, not the coach’s.

“I didn’t want any distractions, I just wanted to work hard. Of course there were times when I wanted to call my parents so I had to ask my coach if I could borrow his phone.”

The scoreboard showed the top three on 253-252-251 with one attempt each to come. Emma Poghosyan from Armenia was in the lead, Xu Linyue from China was second and Rustamova third.

Xu went first and led with a six-from-six 110-146-256. Rustamova had failed at 145kg but needed 147kg to overtake Xu. She did it, finishing 12kg better than her previous highest total on 110-147-257.

The Women’s 86kg podium

Poghosyan, 4kg behind, was already well up on her best total and could not make the 149kg she needed. She made 109-144-253 in third place.

For the second straight year Rustamova was a junior world champion. “We are still here tomorrow and I will be celebrating my birthday in Egypt,” she said. “There will be cake, of course.”

Remarkably for someone who is still a teenager – at least for a day – Rustamova was competing in her eighth World Championships, one in the Youths, five in the Juniors and two in the seniors.

She will go to the Asian Games and a third senior World Championships before the year is out. “Maybe I should give up my phone again next time,” she said.

Rustamova was “never nervous, always confident” despite being 4kg behind the snatch gold medallist Rahma Ahmed at halfway and needing that final lift to overtake Xu. Ahmed, from Egypt, bombed out in clean and jerk, failing three times on 131kg.

Mauricio Loaiza (VEN)

Marian Murgvliani from Georgia took snatch silver on 111kg and, like her team-mate Nana Khorava the day before, finished fourth on total.

Georgia fared better in the men’s 94kg when Goga Jajvani rescued a medal with his last lift. He won snatch gold but missed twice at 198kg and was in danger of a bombout when he made 200kg to finish 167-200-367 for second place.

Goga Jajvani (GEO)

Jajvani won the 89kg title last year, when he finished one kilogram ahead of yesterday’s winner Rodriguez. Another Venezuelan got the better of him this time.

Loaiza, who last competed 10 months ago, prepared well and put 28kg on his best total, making 166-207-373. Just like Rodriguez, he looked very impressive throughout.

There was still a chance that Loaiza could be beaten. Hamidreza Zarei from Iran, who was 5kg behind at halfway and 7kg behind with one attempt left, cleaned 212kg and got the bar above his head but he could not complete the lift. Zarei was third on 162-204-366.

Hamidreza Zarei (IRI)

Valerik Movsisyan from Armenia took snatch bronze on 164kg before bombing out in clean and jerk.

By Brian Oliver

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia