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The Russian national anthem was played at an IWF competition for the first time in five years after an exciting finish to the men’s 65kg at the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia.

On a good day for Europe, Nicoleta Cojocaru claimed two world records in winning the women’s 58kg by a wide margin.

On Monday Evgenii Butuzov had been within one kilo of victory for Russia at 60kg. A day later, it looked like his 17-year-old team-mate Sergei Plotnikov might fall short too after David Linares from Venezuela made an 8kg jump with his final attempt.

Sergei Plotnikov (RUS)

That left Plotnikov 2kg behind with one attempt remaining. He made it to complete a perfect six-from-six 122-153-275 and become Russia’s first officially recognised world champion since October, 2021.

For the first time since then, the competition speaker announced, “Please stand if you are able for the national anthem of Russia.” Plotnikov, and his fellow team members in the arena, clearly enjoyed the moment.

Russia topped the medals table at the World Youths in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia with six winners in 2021. It has not had a junior world champion since May of that year and its last senior world title came in 2018.

In the past five years, Russian athletes have been unable to compete internationally because of suspensions and neutrality rules. 

During that time only one of the six winners in Jeddah, Zarina Gusalova, has competed again internationally, both times as an Individual Neutral Athlete. Meanwhile two other winners in Jeddah, Hampton Morris from the United States and Weeraphon Wichuma from Thailand, have had stellar careers and won medals at the Olympic Games.  

The men’s 65kg category podium

The outright suspension ended in May, 2023 when athletes from Russia and Belarus were allowed to compete as Individual Neutral Athletes, wearing grey uniforms with no flag, no logos and no national anthems if they won.

When the Russian Varvara Kuzminova won the youth world title at 76kg last year she did so as a neutral. After the restrictions were dropped for age-group athletes, Kuzminova finished third at this year’s World Juniors in Ismailia, Egypt, but Russia did not have any winners. The restrictions on seniors were removed by the IWF last month.

Plotnikov had competed internationally once before today, finishing third as a neutral at last year’s European Youths. He improved that 2025 total by 11kg in Cali.

The top three finishers missed only one lift between them. Linares failed at 150kg on his penultimate attempt and made 123-151-274. Bronze went to Giorgi Kinkladze from Georgia on 12-144-264.

Sadek Mahmoud from Egypt, who had the highest entry total, injured himself on his final snatch attempt and withdrew at the interval, sitting in fourth place.

Nicoleta Cojocaru (MDA)

Egypt did better in the women’s event when Yasmine Mohamed was second in snatch and third on total behind Cojocaru, who finished 12kg clear of silver medallist Ilayda Etugrul from Turkiye.

Mohamed had finished fifth, one kilo and one place ahead of Cojocaru at the World Juniors in Ismailia, Egypt in May. This time she failed with her final two clean and jerks and was 13kg behind the Moldovan.

Cojocaru, 16, made five from six and improved her best total by 5kg on 88-114-202. She had set the youths’ snatch world record in Ismailia and would have bettered it but for failing on 92kg in Cali. Her final lift gave her a full set of world records.

The women’s 58kg category podium

Etugrul made 85-105-190 and Mohamed 86-103-189. Emily Kuster from Brazil took clean and jerk bronze on 105.

Another Russian went six-from-six in the B Group. Eleonora Gasieva showed potential for the future in making 80-100-180, finishing fifth on total.

By Brian Oliver

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia