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León, Day 8: Brazil’s first world record lasts less than two minutes in sensational finish

Two world records, another “holiday” victory for the champion from Turkmenistan, seven lifts of 200kg or more and an unforgettable arrival on the world stage for a Brazilian teenager. Those were some of the features of the most entertaining session so far at the World Junior Championships in León, Spain. There were two competitions within the 102kg contest, one for 10 athletes and another for the three who finished on the podium – Shahzadbek Matyakubov from Turkmenistan, Matheus Pessanha from Brazil and Mahmoud Hosny from Egypt. Shahzadbek Matyakubov (TKM) Matyakubov and Hosny have both won major senior medals but Pessanha, 19 last month, had never competed outside South America. On his global debut he became the first Brazilian ever to claim a world record, improved his best total by 25kg and scored more Robi points – the system by which the IWF rates the best individual performers – than every gold medallist in León except the man who beat him, Matyakubov. Pessanha’s final lift of 215kg gave him the lead on 168-215-383, and the junior world record in clean and jerk. Out came Matyakubov little more than a minute later. He made 216kg to bump Pessanha down to second place and out of the record books. Garik Karapetyan from Armenia still holds the snatch and total junior world records of 183kg and 393kg. “I wanted the total record today but we didn’t risk it,” said Matyakubov, who finished 175-216-391, up 5kg on his previous best total. “We were surprised by the Brazilian. Matheus Pessanha (BRA) “This was my last junior competition so I trained especially hard for it, and world records were always part of the plan.” He still has a chance to break junior records until the end of the year, and is due to lift at the senior World Championships in Bahrain in December. “I’ll be going for all three,” he said. “Tomorrow is National Day in Turkmenistan (marking 33 years of independence) and this victory is my gift to the country.” Last December Matyakubov won a senior gold at the IWF Grand Prix in Qatar at 96kg. It was also a national holiday then, Turkmenistan’s Day of Neutrality. That, too, had been “a gift for my country”. This year’s Day of Neutrality falls the day before his competition in Bahrain. Matyakubov missed once, his final snatch attempt at 180kg, while Pessanha made all six lifts. Pessanha was down at 89kg at last year’s Pan American Youth Championships, then dropped the barbell on his heel during training and was out of action for several months in the second half of 2023. Pessanha had started out in CrossFit because he thought he was too fat, he said, “and I just loved the feeling of power when I lifted weights”. He was worried about putting on weight again after the injury but Brazil’s national coach Dragos Doru Storica told him he needed to get bigger. “When I saw him for the first time at a local competition five years ago I spoke to his father and brought him to Rio for some training,” said Storica. “It can be difficult because he is from Cabo Frio, about 200 kilometres away. I want to get him to Rio permanently. “What a performance today. The first world record ever for Brazil, and the first world junior medal on total for a Brazilian male.” Hosny, back in action after an elbow joint injury, was up with the top two until he failed at 211kg and 212kg and finished 169-200-369. Hosny, who holds the clean and jerk youth world record at 89kg, won a bronze in clean and jerk at the senior World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia a year ago. There was a 17kg gap to fourth place, filled by Yemialyan Maskaleu, the Individual Neutral Athlete from Belarus who was making his first international appearance. Uladzislau Sakovich (AIN) Another neutral from Belarus, Uladzislau Sakovich, won the evening 109kg session. Nobody came close to the numbers made by the top two at 102kg and Sakovich was the only one to better Hosny’s bronze-medal total in the earlier contest.   Sakovich, fourth at this weight last year, made five from six for 170-204-374 to finish well clear. Emin Burun from Turkey, who was fourth at 102kg a year ago, missed his final two attempts in second place on 168-198-366. Gurami Vekua from Georgia, a bronze medallist last year at 102kg, took bronze again on 162-200-362. Two others made the podium – Hassan Emadi from Iran and Asem Alsallaj from Jordan, who won bronze in snatch and clean and jerk respectively. Rahma Ahmed (EGY) Egypt had its first champion in León when Rahma Ahmed won at 87kg. When she ran off the platform at the finish and jumped into the arms of coach Ala Hasan she knocked him to the ground, but he was soon up and smiling. Ahmed made a six-from-six 110-130-240 for a sweep of golds. She won gold and silver at World Youths and now has gold and bronze at World Juniors, with two more years to come in the junior ranks. Busra Can (TUR) Another former youth champion, Busra Can from Turkey, was second on 102-129-233. Georgia had a rare women’s medallist when snatch silver medallist Marian Murgvliani held on to third place on 105-125-230, ahead of clean and jerk bronze medallist Valeria Ruiz from Colombia. By Brian

León, Day 7: Refugee Jamali wins landmark medals – and Nishikawa thinks long-term after Japan gold

Yekta Jamali made her mark in her sport’s history today when she became the first member of the Weightlifting Refugee Team to win medals. Jamali, who left Iran in 2022 and lives in Germany, finished third behind the Armenian Emma Poghosyan in the women’s 81kg on day seven of the World Junior Championships in León, Spain. By halfway Jamali was sure of one medal, having finished second in snatch with three good lifts. She made all three in clean and jerk too for 104-127-231 and bronze on total. Yekta Jamali (WRT) That was 1kg more than her total at the Paris Olympic Games, where Jamali, 20, finished ninth. “I have made six from six before, and I felt good all the way through,” said Jamali, who won a youth world title for Iran in 2021. She was away from the gym for five to six months after first arriving in Germany. She said she had improved since Almir Velagic became her coach at the start of the year. Velagic was also a refugee, from the war in Bosnia in the 1990s, and became an Olympian for Germany. Jamali is hoping she, too, can gain German citizenship. After the medal ceremony Jamali posed for a photograph with her medal in one hand and her phone, showing a photo of her family, in the other. “I am in touch with them but only online,” she said. Emma Poghosyan (ARM) Florian Sperl, the team co-ordinator, said, “Yekta can be very proud, and the IWF can also be very proud of its team. This is good for the sport and good for the promotion of weightlifting. “I will make sure that the International Olympic Committee is aware of Yekta’s historic achievement.” The IOC has supported the IWF in the project to create a Refugee Team (WRT), as has the Swedish equipment manufacturer Eleiko. The WRT first competed when two women lifted at last year’s senior World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Five team members – two originally from Cuba, two from Brazil, plus Jamali – are entered for this year’s World Championships in Bahrain in December. Poghosyan won with the last lift of a tense session. She improved from fifth place in snatch, 4kg behind snatch winner Mairyn Hernandez from Mexico. Three good clean and jerks took Poghosyan to 100-133-233. Hernandez, 19, was second on 104-128-232 and made the podium at a youth or junior World Championships for the fourth time. Masashi Nishikawa (JPN) Masashi Nishikawa took a big step on the path towards his long-term goal of winning an Olympic medal in 2032 when he won Japan’s first gold. Nishikawa improved from third place last year to the top of the podium at 96kg. He broke the national record in snatch and would have taken the other two Japanese records as well if he had made his final attempt at 206kg, a weight he has made off blocks in training. Nishikawa, who combines weightlifting with studying physical education at university. finished 171-195-366, slightly down on the 370kg total he made recently at the national championships. Next up will be his first senior competition at the World Championships in Bahrain in December. Nishikawa is already thinking way beyond that. “My long-term goal is to compete at the Olympic Games in 2028 in Los Angeles, and to win a medal in Brisbane in 2032.” Ihnatsi Pauliukavets, a bronze medallist last year, finished second on 164-196-360. The Individual Neutral Athlete from Belarus continued an impressive run of success for the team in grey – one of the conditions of their entry as neutrals. Ihnatsi Pauliukavets (AIN) Since their return to international competition in June last year at the IWF Grand Prix in Cuba, the Belarus neutrals have appeared at eight events including the Olympic Games. They have been on the podium at all of them. “We expected gold today, but if we get a win in the next two days we will be more than happy,” said team leader Aleh Loban, who won World Juniors medals in 2003 and 2005. Uladislau Sakovich has a good chance at 109kg, and Belarus also has contenders at 102kg and in the super-heavyweights. “We always want to do better,” said Loban. “We work hard on analysing any mistakes in training. We support each other, and if we appear to be a unified team to those looking from the outside, we are very happy about that.” Third place went to Sergio Munoz from Colombia, who made a career-best 157-198-355 despite dropping down from 102kg for the first time. Ertjan Kofsha from Albania, third in snatch, failed with his last two attempts and finished fifth, 3kg behind Munoz. Eki Lizaso from the host nation won the biggest cheer of the Championships to date despite finishing 10th from the B Group. An audience boosted by a visit from local schools made a lot of noise when Lizaso made his final attempt at 181kg, and even more when he rewarded them with a backflip. By Brian

León, Day 6: The man with the golden smile strikes again for Kazakhstan, and Nicholson claims USA’s fourth win

Yedige Yemberdi is a name to remember. If his numbers are remarkable – four wins in four international competitions and 11 good clean and jerks in a row – his stage presence is even more impressive. For the second straight year 19-year-old Yemberdi, from Kazakhstan, overcame a big deficit in snatch to claim the junior world title. He has also won world and continental youth gold since his first appearance in 2022. Yedige Yemberdi (KAZ) Last November in Guadalajara, Mexico, Yemberdi thumped his chest after every lift and led the applause himself as he moved from ninth place at halfway to the top of the podium at 81kg. The crowd loved it. Today at the 2024 World Juniors in León, Spain, Yemberdi did it again at 89kg. He was fifth in snatch, 9kg behind the leader Diyorbek Ermatov from Uzbekistan. He smiled every time he came on the platform, encouraged the audience to make some noise, and finished with six good lifts. “It comes from my mother,” he explained. “She taught me that you can beat the stress with a smile, and that’s what I do. If you win you have to do it with a smile, and you should do it if you lose too. “After the snatch I was not sure I would win, but I made myself believe it. My coach came here at his own expense and I would have been ashamed if I didn’t win for him. I persuaded myself that I would do it, and I did – with a smile.”   Jokser Albornoz (COL) After his first clean and jerk, Yemberdi was 8kg behind Ermatov, who then failed with his last two attempts and finished fourth on total. After the next one the deficit was 3kg behind new leader Jokser Albornoz from Colombia, who had finished on 158-192-350. Alireza Abbaspoor from Iran was next out. He made his final attempt for 156-195-351 to take the lead, and Yemberdi needed 199kg to win. He came out smiling, roused the audience again, made the lift comfortably and posed for the cameras before he left the platform. Yemberdi finished on 153-199-352. “What a presence! He’s amazing - we need more athletes like this in weightlifting,” said the IWF Athletes Commission chair Forrester Osei, who has succeeded in rousing  the audience as an enthusiastic speaker at several sessions here. Alireza Abbaspoor (IRI) The only clean and jerk Yemberdi has missed in his international career was the first one, at the 2022 World Youth Championships in the other León, in Mexico. He has had only three no-lifts in 24 attempts. Yemberdi weighed in light at 86kg and looks forward to dropping to 81kg for his first senior outing at the World Championships in Bahrain in December. “It will be easy to lose five kilos,” he said. “I’ve had to eat two lunches and two dinners to bulk up for this weight class and I look forward to not doing it any more.” The United States had its fourth winner of the Championships in the women’s 76kg evening session when Ella Nicholson added the junior world title to last year’s youth gold with an impressive 244kg total. Ella Nicholson (USA) Heesoo Jeon from Korea claimed the youth world record in total in second place, Anna Amroyan from Armenia was third, and Great Britain was on the podium when Isabella Brown took snatch bronze. “That was my best total (by 2kg), best competition, best preparation and first senior American record,” said Nicholson, who won by a wide margin on 113-131-244. “Now I’m looking forward to the senior Worlds.” Heesoo Jeon (KOR) Nicholson, 18, made a great save in her first attempt and went on to beat Mattie Rogers’ national snatch record.   Heesoo, 17, would have had three youth world records rather than one if she had made her final attempt on 134kg. She finished 102-130-232, ahead of Amroyan on 100-128-228. Anna Amroyan (ARM) Brown was 1kg short of Sarah Davies’ British snatch record as she improved her best numbers by 4kg in snatch and 1kg in clean and jerk, finishing fifth on 101-121-122. By Brian

IWF/ITA Clean Sport Seminar: “Don’t be negligent, remain vigilant and get informed!”

Around 75 participants in the IWF World Junior Championships, including athletes and support personnel, gathered this morning in the competition venue in Leon (ESP) for the IWF/ITA Clean Sport Seminar, an important educational tool to disseminate information on IWF’s Anti-Doping programme. This initiative normally takes place at IWF events and is lectured by an ITA (International Testing Agency) Ambassador – this time, the presenter was Thais Cevada, from Brazil, a former international-level athlete in gymnastics. The Seminar was opened by the IWF President Mohammed Jalood, who underlined the efforts our International Federation is allocating into this fundamental matter. “The results are paying off, as in most of our events there are presently no positive cases. We are proud to say that we had no adverse tests also at the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games!” stated Mr Jalood. “This proves that everyone is complying with the rules and that our Sport is clean and fair. These positive results will certainly count towards our wish to raise the bodyweight categories in future editions of the Olympic Games,” the IWF President concluded. IWF President Mohammed Jalood Thais Cevada then briefed the attendees on several aspects of the anti-doping (AD) strategy, namely the types of AD violations, the importance of checking any sort of medicines entering into the athlete’s body, the precautions when eventually taking supplements, and the complete procedure on reporting AD violations. “Being negligent in this field can lead to dramatic consequences to the athletes. Be vigilant, get informed, and don’t incur in any behaviour that can then cost several years of sanction,” explained Cevada, in both English and Spanish to the participants (among them, Forrester Osei, Chair of the IWF Athletes Commission). Thais Cevada, lecturing the seminar At the end of the Seminar, all participants received an “I Lift Clean” t-shirt, and were invited to pass by the educational booth that will be available at the entry of the competition venue for the next couple of days. It will be an additional opportunity for athletes and support personnel to get information on this topic, and to further learn by replying to some quizzes and taking part in educational games. IWF

León, Day 5: Simoneau stars for Canada at ‘perfect weight’ – and Korea’s Dae Hee hits 200kg mark

Charlotte Simoneau gave the perfect performance at her perfect weight to claim Canada’s first title of the 2024 World Junior Championships in León, Spain. Korea also had its first gold when Dae Hee Kwon ended the men’s 81kg evening session with a huge clean and jerk of 200kg. Both winners made all six lifts. At last year’s World Juniors in Guadalajara, Mexico, Simoneau competed at 64kg, having moved up from 59kg the year before. Now she is up again to 71kg and feeling better than ever. Charlotte Simoneau (CAN) “This is my perfect weight,” she said after a six-from-six 110-130-240 that left her clear of the field. “I have more confidence in my body, I’m not having to cut weight, I feel stronger and I’m not getting any injuries.” Her confidence has increased along with her weight. At last year’s World Juniors, Simoneau and her coach Yvan Darsigny opted for the less-pressurised B Group. She finished second regardless. Simoneau is now looking forward to her first senior World Championships in Bahrain in December. “My preparation for this was as good as it gets. I was making 111-131 in training. I’ll be happy with 112-132 in Bahrain.” Simoneau, 19, is studying natural science and works in her grandparents’ flower shop at weekends – when she is not competing. She trains five to eight times a week. When told that Mohammed Jalood, the IWF President who presented the medals, had said she could be “Canada’s next Maude Charron”, Simoneau laughed and said, “Let’s see. I will try to do my best.” Damary Nazareno (ECU) Damary Nazareno from Ecuador finished second on her international debut, making 106-125-231. Simoneau and Nazareno were the only two of 13 A Group lifters to make their final attempt. Janette Ylisoini from Finland would have moved up to second if she had made 128kg. She failed but was happy with a bronze medal with her four-from-six 104-124-228. Ylisoini had not made more than one snatch in any of her past five competitions. “I failed with my first two in Phuket (at the IWF World Cup in April) so it was nice to start with good lifts, it gave me more confidence,” said Ylisoini, 18, who equalled her best competition total. It was a second world bronze medal in four weeks for Ylisoini, a high school student who was third in the sub-junior Powerlifting World Championships in Malta last month. “I like both sports,” she said. Janette Ylisoini (FIN) Maria Mena from Colombia was second in snatch, 1kg behind Simoneau, but bombed out in clean and jerk. The B Group lifter Chen Hsin-Ning from Chinese Taipei took clean and jerk silver on 126kg and finished seventh on total. In the men’s event Mohamed Elsayed, the African senior champion, led by 5kg at halfway and after five good lifts he was ahead by the same margin. But 18-year-old Dae Hee had two attempts to come and made the first at 196kg to secure victory. Dae Hee Kwon (KOR) He then finished off with 200kg, which was within 8kg of Karlos Nasar’s junior world record. Dae Hee finished 156-200-356, Elsayed made 161-189-350, and third-placed Yerasyl Saulebekov from Kazakhstan made 154-190-344. Mohamed Elsayed (EGY) Dae Hee’s only previous international appearance was at the World Youth Championships last year, when he was second with a total of 316kg – 40kg lower than today. The man who beat him then, Levan Ochigava from Georgia, was sixth today. Ochigava’s team-mate Goga Jajvani finished fourth and took clean and jerk bronze after an impressive save on his final attempt at 186kg. Yerasyl Saulebekov (KAZ) There was an even more impressive rescue act in the B Group when the American Hutton Boles had his feet over the edge of the platform after losing control on his third snatch, but recovered and stepped backwards to make a personal record 150kg. By Brian

León, Day 4: Segura hits new heights for  Colombia, another gold for USA – and Saudi teen breaks three youth world records

Ingrid Segura put on a show to claim Colombia’s first title on the fourth day of the 2024 World Junior Championships in León, Spain. The day’s other winner was Caden Cahoy from the United States in the men’s 73kg, in which a 16-year-old from Saudi Arabia claimed a youth world held by the Olympic champion Rizki Juniansyah, then set two more world records. Ingrid Segura (COL) Segura reversed the women’s 64kg placings at the Pan American Junior Championships in Palmira, Colombia three months ago, where she had finished second to last year’s junior world champion Katie Estep from the United States. She had failed with her last two attempts in Palmira but this time Segura made six from six. Segura and Estep had been neck and neck until Estep missed her final attempt after five good lifts. Segura then pulled 9kg clear with a career-best 130kg clean and jerk to finish 101-130-231. “This my first Junior World Championships and I worked hard for it,” said Segura. “We had some very good training camps after the Pan American Championships and this is the result. I had a bad day in Palmira, this was the best. In training I had never made more than 127, so 130 was special.” Katharine Estep (USA) Estep finished 100-122-222, a personal-record total in what, she said, was the strongest competition she has lifted in. “The numbers were high but I wasn’t so surprised. I’ve learned in weightlifting that you kinda have to expect the unexpected. “I’m happy with my performance. I’m a bit under the weather, I’m losing my voice. I know there’s a virus going around but I’m not sure it’s that.” Estep, who also won world gold as a youth, is hoping to lift at the senior World Championships in Bahrain in December. “But I’m in the final year of college and my finals are around that time. I have to talk to my professors. I want to be a doctor.” Jessica Palacios (ECU) Jessica Palacios from Ecuador was third, as she had been in Palmira. Palacios, younger sister of the Paris Olympic medallists Neisi Dajomes and Angie Palacios, failed with her final two attempts and made 98-120-218. Estep’s team-mate Sophie Shaft was a contender until she missed two clean and jerks. Shaft made 97-120-217. Claudia Rengifo from Venezuela was fifth, so the first five places were filled by women from the Americas. Caden Cahoy (USA) Team USA strengthened its place at the top of the medals table when Caden Cahoy took the 73kg, his team’s third title of the Championships. Cahoy started after everybody else had finished in clean and jerk. He failed with his first attempt at 180kg but there was no sign of nerves on the next one, which he made. Cahoy, the Pan American junior champion, then failed at 186kg in going for a personal record. Ionut Donose (ROU) Ionut Donose from Romania made six-from-six for 149-174-323, taking snatch gold and finishing second on total. Mohammed Alzintani from Libya had two chances to overtake Donose but failed both times on 178kg and finished third. He suffered an injury on his final attempt and had his arm in a sling for the medal ceremony. Mohammed Alzintani (LBA) Mohammed Al Marzouq from Saudi Arabia, who will be 17 on Wednesday, set three youth world records in his first four lifts, two in snatch and one on total. If he had made either of his final attempts he would have had clean and jerk too. Mohammed Al Marzouq (KSA) His second snatch of 141kg bettered the youth mark held by Juniansyah. Al Marzouq finished 144-166-310, taking the total record from Yedige Yemberdi of Kazakhstan. By Brian