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Durres, Day 5: Golden double for Thailand as five more nations join medals table 

Thailand had two debut winners on day five of the IWF World Youth Championships and one of them, Thanaporn Saetia, is hoping to step straight up to senior level by lifting at the Asian Championships in Jinju, Korea next month. Saetia was impressive in taking a sweep of golds in the women’s 64kg, failing only with her final attempt to finish 93-113-206. That would have earned her second place in the heavier 71kg category where the clear winner was her team-mate Phattharathida Wongsing. Five more nations came into the medals table throughout the day – Thailand, Turkey, Venezuela, Finland and Syria. So far 27 nations have won medals. Saetia, 17 last week, was a late starter compared to many of the athletes here in Durres, and she is from a family with no sporting background. The key moment was meeting Sukanya Srisurat four years ago when Thailand’s Rio 2016 Olympic champion visited a sports school in Chonburi. She persuaded Saetia to try weightlifting and the newcomer immediately fell in love with it. “Sukanya Srisurat is my idol, I want to be like her,” Saetia said. “I have a dream to go to the Olympic Games. “When I started I paid close attention to what I was told and it was just training, training, training. I like all the exercises, all the movements.” Thailand clearly has high hopes of Saetia. This was her first competition, and team manager Phetkasem Rataporn said her second could be the senior Asian Championships, an Olympic qualifying event that runs from May 3-13 in Jinju. There would be no pressure on her to win a medal and she would learn from the experience, he said. “For young athletes here or anywhere we try to make the competition more like a training session than worry about winning medals. We make training like a competition, and make a competition like training.” Saetia was 5kg clear of Taissiya Alexeyeva (KAZ), who made 89-112-201. Ingrid Segura (COL), the winner at this weight in the past two World Youth Championships with totals of 204kg and 211kg, was third on 86-108-194. Gulalek Kakamyradova (TKM) was third in the snatch on 88kg and won a 10th medal of these Championships for Turkmenistan. Olivia Selemaia (NZL) had her country’s best ever result at the World Youth Championships when she finished fourth on 84-107-191, the same as her winning total at 71kg when she won Oceania youth and junior titles last May. Wongsing, also from the Chonburi sport school and also making her first appearance in international competition, was a wide-margin winner at 71kg, posting 92-120-212. Burcu Gercekden (TUR) was next on 88-113-201 and Keily Silva (VEN) third on 87-112-199. Last year’s runner-up Anna Ylisoini (FIN) took the snatch silver on 91kg and finished fourth on total with 198kg. Turkey had its first winner of the week when Kerem Kurnaz (TUR) made six from six in the men’s 89kg, finishing 144-183-327. It was a great effort because Kurnaz, 16, said had to overcome injury since his victory in the European Youth Championships in 2021. “I broke my arm in three places in training and also I had shoulder surgery for another injury,” he said. He will try for a second European title in Moldova in July. Kurnaz’s father and coach Hayrettin was a national champion and Kerem’s 18-year-old brother Hakan is the junior world champion at 81kg. The winner was the only one of 16 athletes in this category to post a bigger total than Levan Ochigava (GEO) made in winning at 81kg on Tuesday. Nurdos Sabyr (KAZ) was second on 145-176-321 and Valerik Movsisyan (ARM) third on 140-166-306. Ahmad Shammaa (SYR) made 41kg more in clean and jerk than snatch, taking the clean and jerk bronze and fourth place overall on 130-171-301. By Brian Oliver, Inside the

Bariloche, Day 2: Clear victories for Charron (CAN), Contreras (PER) and Morales (NCA)

The second day of the Pan-American Championships, being held in Bariloche (ARG) until April 2, was marked by clear wins from the dominators of the three categories at stake. In the women’s 55kg, Shoely Mego Contreras, from Peru, controlled operations with a 85kg snatch, a successful clean & jerk of 107kg, and an accumulated total of 192kg. Things were also clear for Orlando Vasquez Morales, from Nicaragua, in the men’s 67kg. In the snatch, he lifted 125 kg, then 154kg in the clean & jerk, for an overall gold in 279kg. Finally, Maude Charron (CAN) controlled operations in the women’s 59g, with 101-124-225kg. The minor medals in the women’s lighter category went to Josee Galant (CAN) in the snatch (silver in 84kg), Jennifer Hernandez Chamorro (ECU) in the clean & jerk (second in 106kg), and again to Galant in the total (189kg). The bronze linings in this category went to Ana Lopez Ferrer (MEX) in snatch (82kg), to Galant in clean & jerk (105kg), and to Chamorro in the overall count (187kg). Among men, things were even clearer, with silver going to Vicente Montoya Alvarado (MEX, 121-147-268) and bronze to Mateo Renteria Caamano (PER, 116-146-262). Finally, in the women’s 59g, Danielle Gunning (USA) was 1kg behind Charron in the snatch (100kg for silver) and 5kg in the total (second in 220kg). In the clean & jerk, Daphne Guillen Vazquez (MEX) was the runner-up, in 122kg. The Mexican was also third overall (217kg), while her teammate Janeth Gomez Valdivia won bronze in the clean & jerk (121kg). In the snatch, it was a North American affair, with Taylor Wilkins (USA) on top of the lower podium march (96kg). Read also:Bariloche, Day 1: USA, Mexico and Venezuela start with gold – International Weightlifting Federation

IWF Grand Prix: get ready for a great event in Cuba!

The IWF sent this week an invitation to all its National Member Federations for the participation in the IWF Grand Prix I taking place in Havana (CUB), from June 8-18, 2023. This is a crucial competition for lifters around the world as it is included in the list of Qualifying Events for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. In the information package sent by the IWF, the “Competition Regulations” give all the details concerning accommodation, financial conditions for the participating teams, deadlines for registration (preliminary and final entries), visa and covid-19 procedures, local transportation details, eligibility criteria and provisional competition schedule. The next relevant date in this process is May 8, 2023 when all delegations must send their final entries for the competition. Besides all continental championships and the IWF World Championships in September in Riyadh (KSA), two IWF Grand Prix (Olympic qualifiers) are on the programme for 2023: the one in Cuba and the IWF Grand Prix II in Doha (QAT), from December 1-17. The relevant documents related to the participation at the IWF Grand Prix I in Havana are: COMPETITION REGULATIONS Accommodation & Transportation Form IWF E-Entry System Media Registration

The weightlifting clan from Amazonia

Located in the eastern part of the country, on the border with Peru and with no sea access, Pastaza is the biggest Ecuadorian province in terms of surface. But if its 83’000 inhabitants enjoy an immense territory, situated in the Amazonian jungle, they are also proud of the most famous weightlifting family in the South American nation: the Palacios Dajome clan, whose four children are all shining at the international level. There is Neisi, 24, Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020ne in the women’s 76kg, a national hero. There is also Angie, two years younger and bronze medallist at the last IWF World Championships in the women’s 71kg. The third one is German, born in 2003, and fifth at the 2022 Junior Pan-American Championships in the men’s 81kg. Finally, we have Jessica (17), who got three silver medals on the fourth day of the IWF World Youth Championships here in Durres (ALB), in the women's 59kg. After a third place last year in Leon (MEX), Jessica upgraded the colour of the medal, after a personal best of 88-107-195. She was slightly worse than the winner, Turkmenistan’s Medine Amanova (90-109-199). The result was even more impressive after a thrilling final, where two athletes “broke” under the nerves' pressure, Egypt’s Hanin Elsayed and Kazakhstan’s Altynay Tanibergenova. “I stayed focused on my lifts, but it’s obvious that it was a bit disturbing. In these moments, I try to remain concentrated and control my breath. In the end, my performances were quite good,” recalls a smiling Jessica after her successful result. “Before coming here, the number one goal was to improve my personal bests. I did that, but I believe I could even do better… I am quite grateful to all my entourage for these medals!” Talking about the family connection to weightlifting, the 17-year-old Ecuadorian star recalls: “It all came from my brother Javier [deceased], who got my sister Neisi to the sport. Our parents were not connected with it, but he got hooked and ‘pushed’ the others to weightlifting. I started at 11 and from the very beginning my coaches were saying that I was good at it. As I had all the family involved, I continued to train hard and I am doing my own way in the sport”. With an Olympic champion at home, Neisi is obviously the “idol” of her younger sister. “My goal is to compete at the Olympic Games. Whatever comes next is a bonus. And given my age, the most realistic opportunity should be the 2028 Los Angeles Games. I am of course very confident that weightlifting will be at those Olympics. And I’ll continue training hard with that precise objective,” she admits. To reach this competitive level, Jessica has a double training session on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and a single session on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. “It’s a bit complicated to conciliate with the school, but as I am in a high school with a huge sport component the environment there is quite sensitive to my training schedule and travel pogramme,” she concedes. “We have a very good relation between students, as other schoolmates are competing in several sports”. Jessica is living with Neisi and German with Angie, so the question is obvious: when the four siblings are together, what are they talking about? “You could expect that we only discuss weightlifting, but it’s not true. We have other topics, we are young people like all the others. For example, I still didn’t call them. When I am competing, they want to leave me in my ‘world’, in my own space,” confesses Jessica, whose next competition will be the Pan-American championships in her age group. Her older sisters – Neisi and Angie – are currently competing in Bariloche (ARG), at the continental senior showcase, trying to get a “ticket” for the Paris 2024 Olympics. After successfully competing in Albania, Jessica will try to see something of the country, as it is the first time she visits the Balkan nation. “Now, I will go out and visit a bit Durres. I am relaxed and happy, so it will be even more pleasant!” By Pedro Adrega, IWF Communications Photos by Dejni Trebicka

Durres, Day 4: World youth medallists show that weightlifting is a family business

Weightlifters from Turkmenistan, Ecuador, Georgia, Armenia and Korea showed at the IWF World Youth Championships that family connections can help you on your way and on to the podium – and a winner from Kazakhstan put in a good word for neighbours too. In the first session of the day, 16-year-old Park Ju Hyeon (KOR) finished third in snatch and total. He had someone to look up to and learn from when he went into the sport, as his five-years-older brother Park Hyeongo is Asia’s junior champion at 81kg. Next was the women’s 59kg in which 16-year-old Medine Amanova (TKM) won a sweep of golds to make it a great week for her family in Durres, Albania. Her father Gurbandurdy Amanov is Turkmenistan’s national youth coach and her younger sister Ogulshat won the 45kg title on Sunday. Their 18-year-old sister Ogulgerek is a junior lifter who has won an international medal and their two younger brothers aged eight and 11 are on their pathway into the sport. They also have two other sisters who are elite chess players, and their mother excelled at volleyball. “I was a weightlifter myself, I always wanted to win championship medals but it did not happen,” said Amanov, who like his wife graduated at the national sports institute. “Now I am so proud, I am seeing my wish fulfilled through my daughters.” Taking up weightlifting when it is already in your family seems natural. It can make learning easier, helps with training routines, motivation and diet for example. Amanov also pointed out that as a youth coach he knows just how far to push the girls - not too hard - in training. Weightlifting siblings can inspire and motivate each other and Chary Mammedov, general secretary of the Turkmenistan Weightlifting Federation, said, “Medine has been the main motivator for the whole family after she became the Asian youth champion last year. All the country knows her.” In second place behind Amanova was 17-year-old Jessica Palacios Dajome (ECU), whose older sisters are weightlifting stars. Neisi Dajomes won Olympic gold in Tokyo and Angie Palacios, also an Olympian, was on the podium at the IWF World Championships in Colombia in December. For good measure her brother German is due to compete at this year’s Pan American Junior Championships. In the men’s 81kg, third and last medal event of the day, Levan Ochigava (GEO) made five from six in a career-best 143-179-322, having moved up from 73kg, at which weight he won the European youth title. How did he find his way into weightlifting? “It was my uncle, Tornike Kokaia,” he said. “He was an international weightlifter, he took me to training when I was 11 or 12, persuaded me to try weightlifting and that was it – this is the sport for me.” His brother Luka is also a weightlifter. Kwon Dae Hee (KOR) – who made 142-174-316 for snatch bronze and two silvers - has a sister in the sport. Others who just missed the medals are also from weightlifting families. Hovhannes Ghahramanyan (ARM), fourth across the board, has an older brother, Gevorg, who has been on the podium at world and continental age group championships. Fifth-placed Brayan Ibanez Guerrero (CAN) made only two good lifts but he had family support on the night from his mother Abigail Guerrero, who was coaching him, and his 12-year-old sister Emily. On Monday Emily became the youngest international medallist in the sport at 12 years 3 months when she was third in the women’s 55kg. Brayan’s dad Ciro Ibanez lifted for Cuba, and Abigail Guerrero lifted for Spain; they coach their son and daughter at the family’s Beyond Lifting gym in Montreal. “Emily's biggest inspiration has always been her brother,” Abigail said after Emily’s landmark performance. Without their parents’ financial support, Emily and Brayan would not have made it to Albania, their father said. They paid thousands of dollars to fund the trip. Diyorbek Ermatov (UZB) finished third on total and won the snatch gold with 145-169-314. The 73kg winner Yerasyl Saulebekov (KAZ) said he had nobody in the family to introduce him to the sport, but his next-door neighbour did the job. “He is a weightlifting coach and got me started in the sport,” said Saulebekov, Kazakhstan’s first winner of the week here. In a closely contested session Saulebekov made 137-168-305 to edge ahead of Ravin Almammadov (AZE) on 136-167-303. Saulebekov failed with his final clean and jerk attempt of 174kg that would have given him two youth world records. Park made 131-158-289. Amanova always looked the likely winner of the women’s 59kg and would have finished 10kg clear had she not failed, just, with her final attempt at 115kg. She made 90-109-199, with Palacios Dajome on 88-107-195. Athletes from Egypt and Kazakhstan passed out after failing with their final attempts when medals were within their grasp, and the clean and jerk bronze medallist Greta De Riso (ITA) was helped off stage by the doctor after missing at 108kg. That left the B Group lifter Enkileda Carja (ALB) with bronze on total to add to her bronze in snatch. Carja, whose coach Eglantina Kalemi opted for the B Group to help Carja with her weight and to make her international debut less stressful, made an impressive 87-100-187. By Brian Oliver, Inside the

Bariloche, Day 1: USA, Mexico and Venezuela start with gold

USA, Mexico and Venezuela were the first gold medal winners on the initial day of the Pan-American Championships in Bariloche (ARG) on March 27, which saw 26 athletes competing in the two sessions. In the first one, the women’s 45kg and 49kg consecrated respectively Rosielis Quintana Mendoza (VEN), with a total of 160kg, and Jourdan Delacruz (USA), with 198kg. In the lighter category, Mendoza lifted 71kg in the snatch and then 89kg in the clean and jerk, slighter better than the silver medallist, Maria Barco Ramirez (MEX), with 69-88-157. In the 49kg, Delacruz dominated operations, performing a 86kg snatch and then a 112kg effort in the clean and jerk – three gold medals for the North American. US domination wouldn’t restrict to gold, as teammate Hayley Reichardt got the silver in 86-111-197. The third place on the podium was reserved for Mexico, with Andrea Martinez achieving 85 in the snatch and then Yesica Hernandez lifting 101g in the clean and jerk for the third-best total of 182 kg. Among men, two categories were on the programme, the 55kg and 61kg. Mexico and the USA shone once again, with Jose Poox Peralta (MEX) winning in the lighter category, and Hampton Morris (USA) controlling the field in the heavier group. Peralta made 103kg in the snatch and 130 in the clean and jerk (for a total of 233kg), and was followed by Jhony Arteaga Castillo (ECU) in the snatch (102Kg) and overall (228kg). The silver in the clean and jerk went to Juan Barco Rangel (MEX), in 127kg. The bronze medals went to Howard Roche Citron (PUR), with 100-126-226. In the 61kg category, it was Morris all the way through, with 123-158-281. In the snatch, he was followed by Victor Garrido Buenaire (ECU) with 121kg, while the runner-up in the clean and jerk was Arley Calderon Licourt (CUB), with 155kg, who got also the overall silver with 275kg. The bronze linings went to Thiago Felix da Silva (BRA) in snatch (121kg) and overall (271kg), while Victor Guemez Cel (MEX) completed the podium in the clean and jerk (152kg). Between the two sessions of this inaugural day, the Opening Ceremony of the championships took place with the presence of governmental representatives and naturally the highest officials of the Argentinean Weightlifting Federation, the host of the continental showcase. A parade with the flags of the participating countries was completed with traditional local dances.  Earlier in the day, a Press Conference was held and the President of the host National Federation Gustavo Malgor had the occasion of showing his appreciation to all the authorities that made the organization of the event (160 athletes, from 20 nations)