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IWF thanks Taipei 2017 SU organisers

"Through all 6 days of exciting competitions the Organising Committee of the Taipei 2017 Summer Universiade did an excellent job, for which they deserve our highest recognition and gratitude," - said Dr. Michael IRANI, IWF Executive Board Member, who also served as Doctor on Duty during the weightlifting competitions. "Us, Technical Officials, were treated with extraordinary and warm hospitality," - he added. He, alongside Matyas LENCSER, IWF Technical Delegate and Aniko NEMETH-MORA, FISU Technical Delegate presented a diploma of appreciation on behalf of the IWF to the host group, at the end of an event that welcomed  top-class weightlifters from 39 countries for women and 43 countries for men. A huge group of OC people and volunteers helped the event and with the international team made it one of the most successful sports at the Taipei 2017 Universiade. Thank you,

Minasyan and Kim wrap up splendid Universiade weightlifting events in due fashion

+105 – looked like a piece of cake for MINASYAN Gor, ARM, Rio 2016 Olympic silver medallist. However, as it often happens in sport, despite a 200kg snatch and a last-to-open 230kg, he was almost taken by surprise by local star, former Asian champion CHEN Shi-Chieh, who wanted to beat the Armenian leaving two attempts for the required 241kg clean and jerk. In the end, the expected pattern did work and MINASYAN remained in first position and - unusually for Taipei 2017 - no Universiade records were shattered. The women's last category, the +90kg also featured one competitor standing out from the field: Rio Olympics silver medallist (+75kg) KIM Kuk Hyang from PRK. She also delivered what was expected from her and wrapped up the women's competitions with an impressive 132kg in snatch and 160-167kg, both good and 170kg just missed = 299kg in total. Behind the North-Korean, several contenders were fighting for the medal positions. Among them, former Universiade second and World University champion from Thailand, PULSABSAKUL Chitchanok was most successful with her 270kg, taking silver. Great Britain's BROWN Mercy was happy to pick up the bronze. Universiade records, once set by the mighty KASHIRINA, were not in danger in this

First ever 90kg competition ends with Ukrainian gold

The first 90kg at Universiades: MSTIEVA Diana, RUS , European champion in 90kg and DEKHA Iryna, UKR, 2016 European champion of 75kg fought a duel on stage with DEKHA proving  stronger, especialy in clean and jerk where she completed 135kg in the second attempt for a winning total of 246kg. TPE LO Ying-Yuan was helped to a bronze medal by the cheering local fans. In the process, 7 new Universiade records were set, the first one by Tom Goegebuer's fledgling VANBELLINGHEN Anna from Belgium (Snatch, 106kg).  The rest of the records were shared between the winning Ukrainian and the silver medallist Russian

Martirosyan dominates the 105kg

Armenia's still rising star, this year's Junior world champion (+105kg) and 2016 Rio Olympic second MARTIROSYAN (just 20 years old!) overpowered the field. Although he failed twice with a new Universiade record of 192kg, the initial 180kg plus his only valid clean and jerk of 221kg, making 401kg in total was more than enough to capture the gold medal ahead of Russian BOCHKOV Rodion, who finished with 390kg. MARTIROSYAN tried for a new snatch Universiade record of 192kg - not successful - before attempting to slam two records at a time with 233kg in clean and jerk - also missed, but followed with excitement and expectation from the crowd.

Surprise in men’s 94kg – no surprise in women’s 75kg

A very close race was in sight in the 94kg where all 11 lifters in Group A represented a similarly high standard. Accordingly, the competition was full of turns and surprises, whereby top favourite, 85-kg world champion OKULOV Artem (RUS) soon left the scene with a lowly result and taking only 3 attempts in all, due to a 2-weeks old injury. Two Lithuanian competitors, DIDZBALIS Aurimas (Olympic bronze) and STANULIS Zygimantas vied for the top positions but these were eventually captured by the surprise man of the category, KLIMONOV Egor of Russia, confidently beating Kazakhstan's SYBAY Rustem by one kilo on total (383kg - 382kg). In third place, another unexpected athlete: Rio 4th SUMPRADIT Sarat of Thailand. In contrast to the men's 94kg, the ladies' 75kg category revealed significant differences between the contenders. The biggest gap could be noted between Olympic champion from PRK, RIM Jong Sim and the rest of the field. RIM did not disappoint and started both movements when all the others have done their jobs. In snatch, RIM finished with 120kg, 3 kilos short of the Universiade record, and in the jerk she left no doubt about her dominance, totalling a comfortable 260kg, 20 kilos more than the next best.  Behind her, TPE YAO Chi-Ling was fighting hard to please the spectators but in the end had to settle for bronze, ceding the silver to NAUMAVA Darya of

Ulanov wins and takes courageous world record attempt

In the men's 85kg category at the Taipei 2017 Universiade, KARAPETIAN Andranik, the Armenian who had suffered an elbow dislocation at the Rio Olympics, pulled off with a splendid 170kg snatch, 5 kilos more than the next best, ULANOV Denis of KAZ. In the second act, however, ULANOV was superior and secured the win with 200kg which he made in a correction. Already Champion, ULANOV surprised by asking for a 221kg world record weight for his third attempt. Eventually, this weight is yet to be mastered by the Kazakh, but his effort was certainly commendable. The bronze went to JANG Yeonhak from