Interviews

Get to know… Gaëlle Nayo-Ketchanke

Name: Gaëlle Nayo-Ketchanke D.O.B.: 20 April 1988 Nationality: French Bodyweight category: 75kg Major medals (Total): 2015 European Weightlifting Championships (Tblisi, Georgia) - Silver 2016 European Weightlifting Championships (Førde, Norway) - Silver 2017 IWF World Championships (Anaheim, USA) - Bronze 2018 European Weightlifting Championships (Bucharest, Romania) - Silver 2018 XVIII Mediterranean Games (Tarragona, Spain) - Silver Personal Bests:  Snatch: 111kg Clean and Jerk: 137kg Total: 248kg -- BUSINESS   1 Snatch or clean & jerk? Clean & jerk.   2. What do you like to listen to when training?  Radio for background music.   3. How many hours a week do you spend in the gym?  When I'm training with the national team it's 30 hours per week; otherwise, I have to balance home and work so it's about 20 hours per week.   4. What's your favourite aspect of training?  All the preparation in general, but especially working hard and digging deep - I constantly challenge and push myself to the limit.   5. Which aspect of training do you hate the most?  Working on my weak points!   6. If there was one thing you could improve about your technique, what would it be?  Definitely the snatch, even though I improved a lot early on in my career.   7. What is your most memorable lift? Without a doubt, the 2015 European Championships where I broke all my records. It was a perfect day and I really enjoyed competing against my rivals and ultimately claiming second place. Also, my Olympic qualification during the 2016 European Championships where - despite my injuries - I managed to get back to a fairly high standard with the support of my club coach and partner. It was pretty intense!   8. What achievements will allow you to retire happy?  Winning medals has been a huge achievement, especially as they were the first in my country for 25 years. Making my parents (who still live in Cameroon, Africa) proud; making my trainers proud. I thank God for all these things that are forever engraved in my memory. My ultimate aim is to train as hard as possible every day  so that I’m in with a chance of qualifying for, and getting a medal at, the Tokyo Olympic Games.   9. Knowing what you know now, what one thing would you change in your first training routines?  There’s not much I’d change – I don’t cheat, I give 100%, and I trust my coaches.  Ideally, I’d like to become professional which would change a lots of things – but this is not the case in France!   10. Who is the greatest weightlifter of all time?   I don’t think he’s the greatest weightlifter of all time like Naim Suleymanoglu or Pyrros Dimas, but the person I most admire and who has always made me want to excel is Dymtri Klokov.   11. What is the most important thing needed to be an Olympic weightlifter?  Humility, hard work and rigour are essential qualities – added to which is a desire to follow your dreams, have an open mind, and the ability to enjoy yourself.   [caption id="attachment_24180" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Gaëlle at the 2017 IWF World Championships[/caption] -- PERSONAL    1 Describe yourself in 3 words Generous, hard-working and cheerful.   2. What other sports do you like to play?  Athletics, in particular the 100m, which I practised when starting out in Cameroon.   3. What is your favourite meal?  Eru - a Cameroonian specialty.   4. If you could only eat one type of one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?  African cuisine, definitely something from my birthplace.   5. Describe your perfect day off.  Lunch with my family, a stroll and a browse in some shops. Ending with a meal at a great little restaurant near me in the south of France – on the seafront beneath the sunset.   6. Which person, alive or dead, would you like to have a conversation with? Bernard Garcia, manager of my French Club Clermont Sports, who  died of cancer in 2014.   He was the dearest person to me, my second father, and I feel his loss deeply. He did everything for me and now with God watches over my career.   7. Name one skill you would like to learn  Maybe wisdom, even if it’s not exactly a skill.   8. Where is the one place you would like to visit?  The Seychelles.   9. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Accept everything that happens to you as God’s will. Acknowledge your failures with serenity and learn from them.   Watch Gaëlle takeover @iwfnet Instagram Stories next Wednesday 10 October, as she trains for the 2018 IWF World Championships in Ashgabat. — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Get to know… Fernando Reis

Name: Fernando Reis D.O.B.: 10 March 1990 Nationality: Brazilian Bodyweight category: +105kg Major medals (Total): 2010 South American Games (Medellin, Colombia) - Silver 2011 Pan American Games (Guadalajara, Mexico) - Gold 2014 South American Games (Santiago, Chile) - Gold 2015 Pan American Games (Toronto, Canada) - Gold Personal Bests:  Snatch: 201kg Clean and Jerk: 242kg Total: 440kg [caption id="attachment_24023" align="aligncenter" width="563"] Fernando Reis[/caption] -- BUSINESS   1 Snatch or clean & jerk? It depends of the training cycle. At times I would rather do the snatch and other times the clean & jerk. Snatch is a technical exercise, whereas the clean and jerk… it requires more strength and more courage!   2. What do you like to listen to when training?  For me, the music doesn't really matter. I like to listen to hip-hop, but I think I listen to music so I don't get distracted by outside conversations.   3. How many hours a week do you spend in the gym?  I do 2 sessions on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. I do 1 session on Thursday and Saturday. Each session lasts 2 hours.   4. What's your favourite aspect of training?  My favourite aspect of training is preparing for competition. The prime of the prime. I like to compete well, so I must prepare myself like a savage.   5. Which aspect of training do you hate the most?  I hate the injuries. In fact, now I'm dealing with a big injury that brings a lot of uncertainty throughout the process. But I like to use injuries as an opportunity to work on something else, something I wouldn't normally do in a training session.   6. If there was one thing you could improve about your technique, what would it be?  Something I would improve about my technique would be for sure my second pull - where I could use more legs instead of my back. By doing that I would be able to keep the barbell closer to my centre of gravity, therefore I would finish the pull more vertically.   7. What is your most memorable lift? I think lifting at home in the Olympics in 2016 was a memorable moment. Thousands and thousands of people cheering my name – it was very cool. Watch our intimate interview with Fernando before the Rio Olympic Games.   8. What achievements will allow you to retire happy?  I will retire after I get my World Championships medal and Olympic medal. After that I will be happy. That means I have to work a lot to achieve those goals.   9. Knowing what you know now, what one thing would you change in your first training routines?  Knowing what I know now I would change my patience. When I was younger I used to kill myself in training. Now I know that I have to prepare myself for war and don't get killed in the process!   10. Who is the greatest weightlifter of all time?   Fernando Reis. I have to believe in myself more than anything. I respect the other lifters and have more respect for those who lift more than myself. I have admiration for Evgeny Chigishev, Khadzhimurat Akkayev, Pyrros Dimas. I like lifters who represent more than just lifting heavy weights.   11. What is the most important thing needed to be an Olympic weightlifter?  Be crazy, but have control. Know that the process takes a long time.   [caption id="attachment_24015" align="aligncenter" width="567"] Fernando at the 2017 IWF World Championships[/caption] -- PERSONAL    1 Describe yourself in 3 words Determined. Resilient. Kind.   2. What other sports do you like to play?  I like to shoot guns. I like automobiles - anything that involves speed.   3. What is your favourite meal?  Steak and fries.   4. If you could only eat one type of one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Brazilian steakhouse.   5. Describe your perfect day off.  PR snatch and PR clean & jerk. Sauna and then the beach in Miami. That’s a good day.   6. Which person, alive or dead, would you like to have a conversation with? The Brazilian racing driver Ayrton Senna.   7. Name one skill you would like to learn  I would like to learn how to invest money in stocks.   8. Where is the one place you would like to visit?  Bora Bora.   9. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Do the best you can with what you have. Be kind and treat others with respect – everyone is the same unless they give you a reason to treat them differently. Family first.   Watch Fernando takeover @iwfnet Instagram Stories next Wednesday 26 September, as he trains for the 2018 IWF World Championships in Ashgabat. — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Get to know… Mart Seim

Name: Mart Seim D.O.B.: 24 October 1990 Nationality: Estonian Bodyweight category: +105kg Medal record (Total): 2015 IWF World Championships (Houston, USA) - Silver 2016 European Championships (Førde, Norway) - Bronze Personal Bests:  Snatch: 191kg Clean and Jerk: 253kg Total: 444kg [caption id="attachment_23833" align="aligncenter" width="602"] Mart Seim (Mati Hiis)[/caption] -- BUSINESS   1 Snatch or clean & jerk? Clean & jerk.   2. What do you like to listen to when training?  When I feel I'm in good shape or undergoing a harder training session, I listen to something heavier, like rock. With base training I listen to anything but rock, as I don't want to ruin it. If I don't listen to heavier music too much, it helps me at the right training moment, if this makes any sense.   3. How many hours a week do you spend in the gym?  At training camp I spend on average 25 hours. In classic lift training I spend approximately 10 hours a week.   4. What's your favourite aspect of training?  If I'm injury free - that I'm in great shape and able to lift heavy weights.   5. Which aspect of training do you hate the most?  Injuries.   6. If there was one thing you could improve about your technique, what would it be?  I'd keep my heels down in snatch until the bar is at hip height. I'm working on it, but my heels tend to lift too soon. I've gotten a lot better over the years, though.   7. What is your most memorable lift? That 253kg clean and jerk in the last IWF Worlds. The audience there was unbelievably disrespectful, and to perform so well despite that... I'll remember it for a while.   8. What achievements will allow you to retire happy?  The clean & jerk world record and a medal at the Olympics. If they succeed in their current anti-doping efforts, maybe even a brighter medal...   9. Knowing what you know now, what one thing would you change in your first training routines?  I would change a lot. I've received loads of advice from people with the knowledge of the 1970s, when sport wasn't exactly clean. If you want to train clean, the entire plan is different, so I've had to learn myself by trial and error.   10. Who is the greatest weightlifter of all time?   I'd like to say Leonid Taranenko, but Lasha seems to be passing him.   11. What is the most important thing needed to be an Olympic weightlifter?  Patience. You can't escape injuries in weightlifting and being able to cope with them is probably one of the most important qualities. And of course you have to be willing to work very hard.   -- PERSONAL    1 Describe yourself in 3 words Hard-working. Patient. Positive.   2. What other sports do you like to play?  Football. Table tennis. I play table tennis at training camp, as it's quite safe!   3. What is your favourite meal?  If I cook myself, I make a great pasta with chicken, chanterelles, olives, paprika, garlic, cheese and a good sauce (just pasta would sound incredibly boring). In a restaurant I mostly order rib-eye steak with potatoes and mushrooms.   4. If you could only eat one type of one cuisine for the rest of your life, what would it be?  Probably my native Estonian as we're used to eating a lot of potatoes and meat/carbs and protein. They're quite versatile, there are so many different meals you can make out of them.   5. Describe your perfect day off.  Holiday. Wake-up at 11am. Breakfast. To the sea on a yacht to do some whale/dolphin/penguin etc. spotting. A little nap in the afternoon. Some bowling in the evening. A nice meal at a restaurant. Home at a decent hour.   6. Which person, alive or dead, would you like to have a conversation with? Einstein. He might have a few tips on how to become stronger, or he'd figure it out!   7. Name one skill you would like to learn  Play with gravity like Lasha does in the Snatch.   8. Where is the one place you would like to visit?  There are several, but to name one – Madagascar. The more exotic, the more inviting.   9. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? My dad told me after my very first competition, “Don't worry. Be patient. Do the work and you'll see the results.”   Watch Mart takeover @iwfnet Instagram Stories next Wednesday 12 September, as he trains for the 2018 IWF World Championships in Ashgabat. — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Hidilyn Diaz Reveals Sacrifice On Path To Golden Glory

Triumphant weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz has her sights set firmly on Olympic gold, inspired by her new Chinese coach, but first she might just indulge in a guilty passion — cheesecake and bubble tea. [caption id="attachment_23686" align="aligncenter" width="577"] Hidilyn Diaz of Philippines competes in the women's 53kg weightlifting event during the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta on August 21, 2018. / AFP PHOTO / MONEY SHARMA[/caption] “The sacrifices you make are so hard when you’re training every day,” she told AFP after winning the Philippines’ first gold medal of the 2018 Asian Games on Tuesday. “I can’t eat sugar and sweets. I miss eating cheesecake and drinking bubble tea with friends. It’s hard,” said the sweet-toothed 27-year-old from the southern Philippines island of Mindanao. Diaz has already assured a place in her country’s sporting folklore, alongside the likes of Manny Pacquiao, as the only woman from the sprawling archipelago ever to win an Olympic medal. But now, with top Chinese coach Gao Kaiwen making “a difference” in her corner, she believes she can turn Rio 2016 silver into Tokyo 2020 gold after winning the women’s 53kg event in Jakarta. “My coach has been with me for two months,” she said of Gao, who is also the head coach of the Chinese national women’s army team. “I am so grateful for him. He made a difference in my lifts. He’s a positive person and I like to have him around me,” she added immediately after being presented with her medal. Gao has coached multiple Chinese Olympic medallists including 2012 women’s 75kg+ gold medallist Zhou Lulu. His experience has been invaluable to Philippines Air Force servicewoman Diaz, who has blossomed late in her weightlifting career — she did not even qualify for the last Asian Games in Incheon four years ago, before her breakthrough in Rio. “He changed my technique and more than that made me understand why I need to make the change if I want to win Tokyo 2020.” Gao introduced new routines and heavier weights in training and the results are clear — Diaz lifted 53kg personal bests of 92kg in the snatch and 115kg in the clean and jerk in Jakarta to total 7 kg greater than her Olympic silver effort two years ago. Realize a dream “That change in technique has given me even more confidence,” she said, believing she can push those bests even higher in Tokyo. “I’m really confident (of lifting more) because I was able to lift 115kg in training,” she said. “I just need to know my technique and visualize it. This result proves the Olympic gold medal is possible.” First, she needs to qualify for Tokyo, a cycle that starts at November’s world championships in Turkmenistan. Meanwhile, the busy Diaz will attempt to juggle training with her air force career, college studies and managing her new weightlifting gym opened last year in her hometown of Zamboanga in Mindanao. “I don’t know if I will win (the world title) because I will go back to school,” she said. “But I will do my best.” Diaz’s victory could reportedly be worth as much as P6 million ($112,000) in bonuses awarded to Philippines gold medallists from the government, National Olympic Committee, and other organizations. She said she would invest the money in her gym to give back to weightlifting in the Philippines and leave a legacy after she retires — Tokyo 2020 will be her last event. “My main goal is to help out kids in my hometown and realize their dream in weightlifting,” she said. “This sport could change their lives and hopefully they could become just like me in the future.” Source: rappler.com — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Meet Judy Glenney – The Woman Behind Women’s Weightlifting

“I had always been interested in testing my strength, but growing up that’s just something girls didn’t do,” remembers Judy Glenney, four-time Women’s National Champion. The American was one of the first women to pick up a barbell and swing it above her head, a movement that would see her start a long, rewarding relationship with weightlifting. [caption id="attachment_23537" align="alignright" width="290"] Gary and Judy Glenney[/caption] Judy was introduced to weightlifting by Gary Glenney, a member of the Athletes in Action weightlifting team and her future husband. “I was actually responsible for cleaning their weight room” laughs Judy, “I knew nothing about weight training, but I wanted to learn.” Under Gary’s guidance, Judy began to learn basic compound movements like the bench press and squat. But it still wasn’t enough to satisfy Judy’s burning curiosity. “I was interested in attempting what the guys around me were doing,” she says, “the snatch and the clean and jerk. The thing that intrigued me about the Olympic lifts was that they combined so many different things – strength, power, flexibility. Moving the body into those positions absolutely amazed me.” As soon as Judy started to practice the two lifts, she fell in love with them. And like any other great strength athlete, she became obsessed with trying to move as much weight as possible over her head, an obsession that would eventually lead to testing herself in male-dominated competition. ALL-MALE COMPETITION “Let’s be clear, I lifted weights because I loved to lift weights,” Judy says unapologetically. “I wasn’t trying to breakthrough the glass ceiling or embark on a crusade for women everywhere, I just wanted to test myself.” [caption id="attachment_23532" align="alignleft" width="291"] Judy in competition[/caption] It was in competition where Judy would start to encounter more pushback. Initially, she would compete against men in their competitions, as this was all that was on offer. She even agreed to not be officially recognised for her efforts – no medals, no trophies. “I wanted to show I could do it on their terms,” says Judy. “If I could show them I could lift with correct technique, that’s how I would win respect. I let my lifting do the talking.” Judy got the impression early on that this was something girls weren’t supposed to do. Fortunately, she had Gary in her corner giving simple advice - ‘if you enjoy it, do it.’ “I put all the funny looks aside”, says Judy, “I enjoyed the lifts, I enjoyed training, I enjoyed challenging myself. So, I just did it.” It was in the early 70s that Judy began to compete in weightlifting, when the American feminist movement was in full flow. “I wanted to compete to test myself,” explains Judy, “but in the process I found myself breaking down the barriers that existed to women and becoming part of the wider narrative.” Soon Judy would find herself at the forefront of the women’s weightlifting movement. WOMEN TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT Judy’s efforts on and off the platform were starting to make waves in the weightlifting community. Bill Clark, a pioneer in strength sports, held the first female competition in 1976 in Columbia, Missouri. “There were only a handful of us,” Judy recalls. It was the starting point for accelerated growth in women’s weightlifting. [caption id="attachment_23540" align="alignright" width="290"] Judy, Murray Levin and Mabel Rader[/caption] Five years later, the first official National Women’s Championship was held by USA Weightlifting in Waterloo, Iowa. It was Judy, along with magazine owner Mabel Rader and former USA Weightlifting President Murray Levin, who spearheaded the campaign for women to compete. “Murray was instrumental in the movement,” Judy says. “His was the deciding vote that allowed women into the fold.” Judy bested 28 other women to win the first Women’s National Championships, a title she would hold for four consecutive years. Judy recorded her best lifts in this era – 97.5kg clean and jerk, 82.5kg snatch and a 172.5kg total at a bodyweight of 67kg. How would she compete against today’s women? “Oh, I don’t think I could match them!” she laughs. From 1981 onwards, women’s weightlifting experienced unprecedented growth. The historic decision to open the sport to women internationally was made by the IWF in 1983. It was realised three years later with the Pannonia Cup held in Budapest, which attracted competitors from Hungary, China, Canada, Britain and the United States. “Budapest was the catalyst,” Judy remembers. “We drew big audiences. That made the guys at the top sit up and pay attention.” FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH As soon as the hunger for women’s weightlifting became apparent, international competition flourished. The success of the first Women’s World Championships in 1987, held in Daytona Beach, Florida, would assure recognition and support for women around the world. Interestingly, a prepared China won seven of the eight weight categories at these Championships, establishing their dominance in the sport that lasts to this day. [caption id="attachment_23542" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Judge Judy. Judy on jury duty for the World Championships[/caption] This fresh impetus for women would lead them to the Olympic Games for the first time in 2000. Her competing days over, Judy would have to settle for a position on the jury at the Sydney Games. “My dream was to see women compete at the Olympics,” Judy smiles. “It was incredibly rewarding and humbling to see it happen.” Weightlifting put women on the Olympic programme before wrestling and boxing, and at Tokyo 2020 there will, for the first time, be an equal split of the medals. Judy had been working towards that goal long before now. As the sport moves from strength to strength, bringing in female weightlifters from all over the world, it’s important to remember that that every one of them owes a debt to Judy Glenney.       - Judy Glenney lives and works in Vancouver, Washington in the United States. In 1989 she wrote a book with her husband Gary titled ‘So you want to be a female weightlifter’ and still works with aspiring female weightlifters. A note from Judy:  'I want to thank all the folks that have contacted me regarding the history of women's weightlifting. It has been such an honor and a humbling experience to find so many are interested. I never in my wildest dreams thought it would bring about this much attention. I am so thankful that God allowed and enabled me to do what I did. He brought about the fulfilment of a dream that I never thought possible in a most unexpected way. If it's one message I would like to convey, it would be to never give up on your dream. You never know how or when it will come true. Thanks again for allowing me to share my passion - my hope is that others will find that passion as well!' — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Weightlifting Family celebrates Olympic Day!

Today, we celebrate the 70th Olympic Day, a worldwide occasion to embrace the Olympic Values: Friendship, Respect and Excellence – along with the four Paralympic values – Determination, Inspiration, Courage and Equality. On 23 June 1894 the International Olympic Committee was formally established through the efforts of Pierre Coubertin, a Paris born aristocrat, nobleman, teacher, athlete and sports enthusiast. Mr Coubertin had a vision of reviewing the early ancient Olympics, where everyone was accepted, nations put down their weapons for the duration of the Games (Sacred Truth) and took part in a peaceful competition. He believed, he could educate people on acceptance, friendship and different cultures through this enormous sports event. This idea now is as important as ever, and we remember Pierre Coubertin fondly. But who would feel the spirit of the Olympics more than the ones who walked the Parade of Nations sharing their joy with the whole world? On this occasion, we asked our athletes how they felt about Olympic values and what special Olympic memories they hold dear. Sarah Davies (GBR) “The Olympic values not only embody everything that we should strive for when competing in sport but also everything we should strive for in our everyday life.” “My first memory of the Olympics was watching the gymnastics in 2000 and I remember thinking, I want to represent my country at the Olympics one day! There was also something special about watching my fiancé Jack Oliver compete at the home Olympics in London.” “Fair play can come in many forms, but I think the best act of a fair play I have witnessed and been a part of was during a British Championships where myself and 2 of my national teammates were head to head in the 63kg class. I and Emily had finished, and Zoe had the final lift and a British record attempt. Both I and Emily stood there to cheer her on and congratulate her regardless of her beating us in the competition.” Gaëlle Nayo Katchanke (FRA) “For me, the Olympic values mean respect for your opponents regardless of nationality or skin colour. Determination, courage, combativeness, surpassing oneself, fraternity over humility and equality between each athlete! Dymtro Chumak (UKR) “The Olympic Games have special values to me. Since ancient times it has been the top of sport and being involved in this event makes me feel very special.” “I think it is very important in our time, that the athletes could compete in equal conditions, adhered to the Anti-Doping code and the IWF rules. Fair play determines the real champion.” Kuo Hsing-Chun (TPE) “In my mind, attending the greatest competition in the world is the highest honour for me, my family and my country. “Getting the medals is important but the Olympic Games is so much more than that. If it wasn’t for the true spirit of sportsmanship, Olympic Games wouldn’t have become the most impressive sports event in the world. “The Olympic Spirit includes not only the fair and peaceful competition instead of fighting and hurting each other but also inspires people to achieve victory through hard work and challenging, pushing ourselfs to the breaking point. “ “I always tell myself: be stronger, set higher goals and your dream will come true faster.” Sivalingam Sathish Kumar (IND) "Olympics are a dream. It’s not an easy thing to do, first, getting qualified is very tough. But once you’re in, it is a really big thing. If you won a medal there, you become part of the history and your life changes fully." "Unfortunately, I injured my back before I participated, so I ended up in 11th place." "We must play fair; every athlete needs clean and fair chances to win." Hidilyn Diaz (PHI) “Olympic values mean the excellence that unites different people with different perspectives and beliefs. To be excellent I need the courage to continue what I love to do and determination to achieve my goals.” “I had a wonderful experience at my first Olympics, in 2008 in London, when I was just a nobody and I didn’t know anything about the Games. But being there gave me the motivation to get qualified for the next one. My second Olympics, I lost.  But on my third Olympics, I felt like I was God's powerful champion. I won the silver medal when I thought my best chance is the bronze.”         — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter