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First African medals – Gold for BELKHIR and Silver for SAID

African Youth and Junior Champion BELKHIR Ghofrane (TUN) also ranking third at the IWF Junior World Championships put on a show at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Her main rival in the Women’s 58kg was SAID Neama Said Fahmi (EGY), first at the African Youth Games. It is the first time the two competed against each other and the result was a competition full of enjoyment and friendly challenge. BELKHIR lifted 1kg more than SAID in the Snatch – 88kg for the first and 87kg for the second. Same happened in the Snatch where the Tunisian lifter made it to 108kg and the Egyptian to 107kg. BELKHIR Ghofrane (TUN) won the Gold Medal and SAID Neama Said Fahmi (EGY) won the Silver Medal. With a Total of 186kg, BROWN Peyton (USA) made it third with a 13kg advantage over fourth

Weightlifting Family: Olympism in Action

By Kevin Farley Pyrros Dimas always draws a crowd. For the three-time Olympic Champion, walking through a weightlifting venue is like attending a family reunion. “Weightlifting is like my family,” Dimas said. “No matter where in the world I go, I have family with me.” Representing Greece in four Olympic Games, Dimas says the ideals of Olympism and unity through sport runs through his veins. “I feel a great responsibility to keep the Olympic Spirit alive,” Dimas said. That is why there was no question when he was asked to help an athlete from Uganda at the Youth Olympic Games. Just 16 years old, Hamdan Lutaaya Sserwanga arrived in Buenos Aires with his national delegation, but his coach was back home in Uganda. IWF International Technical Official, Janet Musoke Namwanga asked Dimas to step in and help her fellow Ugandan. “Of course, I said ‘yes,’” Dimas said. “It is my role as an ambassador to this sport to help all athletes. Many people put me up on a pedestal, but it is important to show that I am an athlete too, and I want to use my experience to help anyone who needs it.” It is not every day that a three-time Olympic champion, and, arguably, one of the most famous men in weightlifting asks to be your coach at the biggest competition of our life, but for Hamdan, that happened just two days before he was to compete. “He was very excited,” Dimas said. “I was excited that he was excited. I like to see athletes succeed in weightlifting, and to be part of that journey is very important to me.” Dimas, along with his older brother and Greek national coach, Odisseas, worked with Hamdan in the days leading up to his competition. “We did a little technique work, but he was very strong and ready to compete,” Dimas said. “He is a warrior.” After two days of training, the time to compete had arrived. During Monday’s 62kg session, Hamdan went a perfect six-for-six setting new personal bests in the Snatch, Clean & Jerk and Total. It was not only a celebration for Hamdan, but for the sport of Weightlifting and the wider Olympic Movement. Founded on the values of peace, education and understanding, Olympism’s goal is to show that the world can unite through sport. What happened on that Youth Olympic platform Monday night was nothing short of Olympism in action. The foundation of the Olympic spirit was put into action and translated into real difference for an athlete. “In sport, you can see unity in people, no matter where they come from,” Dimas said. “I am honoured that our Weightlifting family holds these ideals so dearly.” — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Mexican lifter worth her weight in gold

Four years ago Yesica Hernandez Vieyra had never heard of weightlifting. On Monday she proved her precocious talent by taking the 48kg title at the Youth Olympic Games. [caption id="attachment_24401" align="aligncenter" width="578"] Yesica Yadira Hernandez Vieyra MEX lifts for the Gold Medal in the Weightlifting Womens 48kg Category at the Europa Pavilion, Youth Olympic Park. The Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday 8th October 2018. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand for OIS/IOC. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC[/caption] BUENOS AIRES - Mexican lifter Yesica Hernandez Vieyra showed off her talent after only four years of weightlifting by coming from behind to win gold in the women’s 48kg at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games. “Four years ago I didn’t even know the sport,” 16-year-old Hernandez Vieyra said. “A friend of mine asked me to try it. My coach told me that I have talent in weightlifting and he believed one day I could participate in the Olympic Games. “My dream was to fight for the gold. I kept training really hard. I didn't go out with my friends so frequently and made sure that I was focused on my training. Now all the effort, the training, I think are worthwhile.” The Mexican paid tribute to her mother for her unconditional support. “My mother also didn’t know the sport when I first practised weightlifting, but she just stood by my side the whole time,” she said. “I really learned a lot from weightlifting. It has played a part in my growth. I like the feeling of lifting barbells and training with my teammates.” Colombia's Yineth Santoya Ortiz made a strong start at the Europa Pavilion in the Youth Olympic Park, lifting 76kg in the snatch, 2kg more than the Mexican. But Hernandez Vieyra then lifted 11kg more than her rival in the clean & jerk, to register 171kg overall. “In the snatch, I didn't really concentrate. In the clean & jerk, I kept focused and believed I could come back to win the gold,” Hernandez Vieyra said. Santoya Ortiz was third in the clean & jerk with 86kg and in the end had to settle for silver with 162kg overall. Mihaela Cambei (ROU) took bronze with 158kg. [caption id="attachment_24402" align="aligncenter" width="568"] Lalrinnunga Jeremy IND roars in delight after taking the Gold Medal with a successful lift of 150kg during the Weightlifting Mens 62kg Group A competition in the Europa Pavilion, Youth Olympic Park during The Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Monday 8th October 2018. Photo: Jonathan Nackstrand for OIS/IOC. Handout image supplied by OIS/IOC[/caption] Lalrinnunga Jeremy (IND), the Commonwealth youth and junior champion in 2017, battled Turkey’s Caner Toptas lift for lift in the men’s 62kg, as they turned the competition of 14 lifters into a two-horse race in the snatch. Only 2kg separated the pair going into the clean & jerk, but the Indian lifter proved too strong, securing gold with 150kg in the clean & jerk for a total of 274kg. “I felt sad after the snatch, but my coach motivated me to fight for good lifts in the clean & jerk. That’s why I (rediscovered) my good form,” said Jeremy, who turns 16 this month. With 122kg in the snatch and 141kg in the clean and jerk, Toptas took silver, while Estiven Villar Manjarres (COL) won bronze. Source: www.buenosaires2018.com — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter

Impressive victory of OZBEK Muhammed Furkan (TUR)

Men’s 69kg was all about the European Youth Champion OZBEK Muhammed Furkan (TUR) and European Youth Silver Medallist MALAKMADZE Archil (GEO). The two athletes put on a great show battled fiercely here in Buenos Aires. They remained close in the Snatch with only 1kg advantage in favour of OZBEK, but the Turkish lifter showed an impressive strength and technique in the Clean and Jerk. With three good lifts – 158kg, 165kg and 170kg – he won with ease the Youth Olympic title. Reaching a Total of 288kg, MALAKMADZE Archil (GEO) won the Silver Medal while the Bronze went to CANUL FACUNDO Mauricio Cristofer (MEX) with

100kg to win Gold for BALTAG Sabina (ROU)

After three good lifts in the Snatch, BALTAG Sabina (ROU) missed her second Clean and Jerk attempt at 100kg. There was a huge pressure on the 2018 European Youth Champion as her last attempt at 100kg was her only chance to win the Gold. Following an impressive lift and becoming Youth Olympic Champion in the Women’s 53kg, she took long minutes to celebrate her victory with her Team and coaches behind the scenes. Silver Medallist at the 2018 Pan-American Youth Championships JUNKAR ACERO Kely Valentina (COL) missed on the same weight and ended second with a Total of 176kg while Silver Medallist at the 2016 IWF Youth World Championships VINATASARI Nur (INA) came in third with

‘All of the sacrifices are worthwhile’ – Katherin Echandia

Katherin Echandia was chosen to be Venezuela's flag bearer, which is comprised of 54 sportspeople competing in 17 sports: athletics, boxing, wrestling, equestrian, triathlon, swimming, beach handball, beach volleyball, modern pentathlon, sailing, basketball 3x3, cycling, gymnastics, judo, fencing and roller speed skating. The Venezuelan Olympic Committee had an original way of choosing its flag bearer for the Buenos Aires 2018 opening ceremony. The country held an open election with the participation of the general public (who could vote online), local media, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Committee’s Executive Board. Katherin Echandia, a weightlifter from the Caribbean country, won the vote, surpassing fellow candidates Anabella Acurero (fencing), Mayra Parra (wrestling), Víctor Betancourt (gymnastics), María Giménez (judo) and Bernardo Lander (equestrian). She was given the flag in a ceremony that was also attended by the rest of the athletes who qualified for the Youth Olympic Games. Echandia’s achievements were more than enough to be her country’s flag bearer on October 6: she won the gold medal at the 2017 South American Youth Games in Santiago and she also triumphed in the 44kg category at the Pan American Youth Championships in Colombia last June. “It’s a great pride to get to carry the tricolour at Buenos Aires 2018. I feel very touched and I appreciate this immense support. We are all going to give our best in our competitions. I promise we will bring home many medals,” anticipated Katherin, who is 17 years old and 1,47 metres tall. Fulfilling her promise, there were tears of joy after she won the women's 44kg event at the Buenos Aires 2018 Youth Olympic Games on Sunday. Echandia Zarate has set her sights firmly on an Olympic gold medal, and her victory brought a roar of relief, as well as payback for the blood, sweat and tears that go into making a champion. [caption id="attachment_24379" align="aligncenter" width="529"] Katherin Oriana Echandia Zarate of Venezuela celebrates jubilantly with her coach after winning the Gold Medal with a successful lift of 90kg in Women's 44kg at the YOG Buenos Aires, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018. (Gabriel Heusi/OIS/IOC via AP)[/caption] “The sacrifices you make are so hard,” she said after lifting 72kg in the snatch and 90kg in the clean & jerk to total 162kg for the gold. “I train every day for the YOG. I missed the Opening Ceremony (to prepare for the event) and I can’t eat sweets as I’m on a diet. “All of the sacrifices are worthwhile. I prepare very well and always have a positive attitude. I just won a gold medal for my country. I’m so excited.” — Follow IWF: Facebook Instagram Twitter