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Guadalajara, Day 8: Armenian Karapetyan claims third straight junior world title – and Georgia has a great day

Garik Karapetyan ended his junior career in style by winning a third straight world title in Guadalajara. The 20-year-old Armenian is a strong contender for the Best Male Athlete award at the World Junior Championships after his dominant performance in the men’s 102kg. Georgia had a day to remember. Sixteen-year-old Mariam Murgvliani became the youngest winner of the Championships when she took gold at 87kg, Gurami Vekua made all six lifts in third place behind Karapetyan, and Giorgi Kirvalidze won snatch gold before finishing third in the men’s 109kg won by Mykyta Rubanovskyi from Ukraine. Garik Karapetyan (ARM) In a highly successful year, Karapetyan has won European senior and junior titles, claimed a snatch silver when finishing fifth at the senior World Championships, and now has another junior world title after making 175-203-378. That was a bigger total by 4kg than Rubanovskyi made in an exciting finish to the 109kg session. There could be more to come because Karapetyan is entered in the IWF Grand Prix in Doha, an Olympic qualifier that begins on December 4. Armenia’s two other winners in Guadalajara,  Gor Sahakyan and Aleksandra Grigoryan, are also heading to Doha. “I don’t know yet whether I will lift or just weigh in,” said Karapetyan, who is one place behind team-mate Samvel Gasparyan near the top of the Paris 2024 rankings. “I like to compete all the time. My best moment of the year was winning the European Championships in my own country.” Karapetyan, whose father Aleksandr was a World Championships silver medallist, holds all three junior world records at this weight and tried to beat two of them but failed both times, on 184kg in snatch and 215kg in clean and jerk. The 67kg winner Sahakyan also failed with a junior snatch world record attempt. Abolfazi Zare (IRI) The 17-year-old Iranian Abolfazi Zare was second on 166-199-365, up 17kg on the total he made in winning the Asian youth title in July. Zare tried for 210kg on his final attempt and only just lost it. Vekua made 160-198-358 in third, and fourth-placed Muhammed Burun from Turkey was third in snatch on 161kg. For the second successive day in Guadalajara there was the rare sight of a male lifter from Sweden lifting in an A Group. Yesterday Victor Sundh made the top 10 at 96kg, and today Joen Vikingsson made 151-193-344 to finish sixth behind Karapetyan. The trip to Mexico for those two athletes plus two coaches cost about $15,000 but because of recent successes the Swedish Federation could finance it. “Weightlifting in Sweden is at a higher level now,” said Patric Bettembourg, who coaches young lifters until they are old enough to move into the seniors, and is also coach of the IWF refugee Team. “In European and world competitions for youths, juniors and seniors we won seven medals in 40 years. In the past five years we have won 40 medals. We have about 1,100 athletes in total, so it’s not so much that we have more of them, it’s that they are better quality. Also the sport is getting cleaner and cleaner around the world, which makes a difference in training. “When we win medals we get more government funding, so we hold training camps for youths and juniors eight times a year and none of the athletes has to pay. For Nordic countries that’s unusual. Weightlifting shouldn’t be just for athletes with rich parents.” Vikingsson, a 20-year-old mechanical engineering student, said, “It’s great to be able to come to places like this, to compete against athletes from all over the world rather than just Europe. That was my best international total by nine kilos. We’re not going home until tomorrow night so I can go out and celebrate with a good meal.” Mariam Murgvliani (GEO) In the women’s 87kg Murgvliani added the world title to the European Juniors gold she won in July. Murgvliani, two weeks away from her 17th birthday, made 102-123-225, which was a few kilos lower than her continental performance. It was also a lower total than the winners in 71kg and 76kg. Fatma Sadek from Egypt was second on 97-122-219 and 19-year-old American Amanda Robles third on 101-114-215, an international career best by 3kg. Estefany Espinoza from Mexico, fourth on total, won clean and jerk bronze on 120kg and fifth-placed Medea Jones from New Zealand won snatch bronze on 98kg. Fatma Sadek (EGY) Jones, a business student, also represented New Zealand in power tumbling during her days as a gymnast. Her father Paul, who manages competitions in New Zealand, was there to celebrate with her. Another New Zealander who had a good day was Kitini Taihuka in the men’s 109kg, where he made all six lifts in posting 135-174-309. That was nearly 100kg more than his only other international total, made in winning the Oceania youth title five years ago. European junior champion Kirvalidze was unable to hold on the lead he built by making all three snatches. Rubanovskyi, who won with the last lift, and second-placed Ariya Paydar both made 9kg jumps for their final attempt. Mikita Rubanovskyi (UKR) Paydar, an international debutant from Iran, must have though he had won when he made 205kg to finish 168-205-373. But Rubanovskyi, in his first competition since becoming European junior champion in 2022, made 207kg for victory on 167-207-374. Kirvalidze was third on 169-195-364. Rubanovskyi  said, “I told the coach I wanted to go for it and he said OK. I have never lifted more than 202 even in training, but I prepared hard and I wanted to win. I thought I could do it and I did.” Ariya Paydar (IRI) He had been absent for so long, he said, “because of some issues I had to deal with, not because of injury”. Iran should have better luck on Thursday, the last day of competition, when Alireza Yousefi is a strong favourite in the men’s super-heavyweights. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

IWF President receives prestigious Sport Award prize in UAE

The IWF President Mohammed Jalood received the prestigious Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Award prize in the category “Arab Administrator” of the year. This award, given annually in several categories, is delivered in the United Arab Emirates and distinguishes individuals or organisations that have played a pivotal role in the development of sport, both locally and globally. IWF President Mohammed Jalood From Iraqi origin, Mr Jalood was elected IWF President in June 2022 and since then, under his leadership, the International Weightlifting Federations has undergone a structural reform, comprising the important areas of good governance, safeguarding and integrity, anti-doping policy, strategic planning, development and support to National Federations and athletes, and reinforcement of resources at its headquarters in Lausanne. This positive evolution was recently recognised by the IOC, whose Session in October in Mumbai (IND) decided to reinstate weightlifting in the programme of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. As one of the founding sports in modern Olympics, this outcome was the pinnacle of the IWF transformation under Mr Jalood’s presidency. Commenting on this fair and well-deserved prize, the IWF President stated: “Despite being given to me, this award is a collective victory for the IWF. With my colleagues in the Executive Board, but also with the entire weightlifting family in the five continents, we have worked very hard to reshape our Federation and restore its reputation. We are definitively in the right direction”. Mr Jalood then concluded by saying that “even if this is a time to celebrate, we should remain always attentive to the fact that this renovation effort must be our driving force in the years to come”. The IWF family is presently gathered in Guadalajara (MEX) for the 2023 edition of the IWF World Junior Championships (concluding on November 23), and will then travel to Doha (QAT), where the IWF Grand Prix II (a qualification event for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris) is taking place from December 4-14, 2023. IWF

Guadalajara, Day 7: Home gold for Mexico and victory for Iran on a great day for teenagers

Another home champion for Mexico, a first win for Iran and yet another debutant medallist for Japan were the highlights on day seven of the 2023 World Junior Championships in Guadalajara. All six medallists on total were teenagers, and by the end of the day the number of nations on the medals table was 22 – half of the 44 who have taken part. There were huge cheers when Mairyn Hernandez made her final attempt at 126kg to take the lead in the women’s 81kg. The 18-year-old was not sure of victory with Rahma Ahmed yet to finish, but the Egyptian failed with her final attempt and Cielito Lindo was heard again at the Weightlifting Forum, as well as the Mexican anthem. Mairyn Hernandez (MEX) Hernandez made 102-126-228 to secure Mexico’s third victory, level with the United States who lead the medals table with more silvers and bronzes. It was a remarkable victory for Hernandez, who has twice won snatch gold at the World Youth Championships only to lose the lead in clean and jerk. The key moment was making her third snatch at 102kg after failing at 100kg. That was a 7kg jump from her first lift. “I have never jumped that much before, and the only time I ever made 102 was in training, just once,” said Hernandez. Her improvement in clean and jerk, where she made 126kg, was even more remarkable. “The most I ever made in competition was 120, and I never made 126 even in training. I did a lot of hard work at training camp, the support from my family and my coaches was important, and the crowd really lifted me,” Hernandez said. Her parents and other relatives were there to celebrate with her. Anamjan Rustamova (TKM) The Asian youth and junior champion Anamjan Rustamova from Turkmenistan, who has competed in senior world and continental championships, won in snatch and was second on total on 104-123-227. Third place went to Ahmed on 101-122-223, ahead of the European junior champion from Georgia, Natia Gadelia, by 3kg. Rustamova and Ahmed are both 17. Alireza Nasiri made it 12 good lifts from 12 attempts in international weightlifting when he reversed the placings at the Asian Junior Championships in August to win here at 96kg. The 18-year-old Iranian made 166-205-371 to finish clear of the man who beat him in India three months ago, Shahzadbek Matyakubov from Turkmenistan. “How did I do it? After losing in August I had good rest, good quality food, and I trained, trained, trained,” he said. “It worked.” Alireza Nasiri (IRI) Nasiri, from Shiraz, had been a gymnast for six months when he discovered weightlifting and made the switch six years ago. “Now I hope to compete in the senior Asian Championships in February,” he said. Matyakubov, 19, won snatch gold but missed two of his lifts in making 167-200-367. He put 10kg on his Asian Juniors total while Nasiri improved by 19kg. The men's 96kg podium Japanese debutant Masashi Nishikawa, 19, finished third on 167-195-362. Japan’s team of 10 in Guadalajara included eight who had never competed internationally, and five of them won medals. Japan leads the way on total medals won with 18. The biggest surprise was the failure of Mahmoud Hosny, the 18-year-old Egyptian who won a senior World Championships bronze in clean and jerk two months ago. Hosny set a youth world record of 193kg in clean and jerk when he won the 89kg youth world title last year, and made 209kg at this weight in Riyadh in September. Today he failed at 198kg, 204kg and 206kg. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia

Guadalajara, Day 6: Debutant Hein claims another gold for USA – and non-stop Jimenez wins for Ecuador

The United States had a debutant winner and a 17-year-old silver medallist on day six of the World Junior Championships in Guadalajara. Those results put Team USA clear at the top of the medals table with three days to go. Elijah ‘EJ’ Hein became the third American winner of the Championships, after Gabe Chhum and Katie Estep, when he saw off a strong challenge from Europe in the men’s 89kg. A couple of hours earlier, youth world champion Ella Nicholson had finished second behind the impressive Ecuadorian Kelin Jimenez in the women’s 76kg. Elijah 'Ej' Hein (USA) Hein, 20, is a successful CrossFitter as well as a weightlifter. “I’ve done weightlifting for seven years and this makes all the hard work worth it,” he said. “This was my first international meet, and I had the 16 weeks of my life preparing for it. You gotta love the grind. “I love weightlifting and I love CrossFit too. The idea is to keep going with both of them. I’m also studying mechanical engineering at the University of Oklahoma – that’s my back-up plan.” His parents, Tim and Stephanie, were there to see Hein’s remarkable six-from-six performance – only the second of his life - and both got a big hug. Hein’s best numbers before today were 150-175-325; now they are 158-193-351. “I’d done 160-200 in training,” he said. His coach Ray Harkness joined in the celebrations. “I told him two years ago that he could do this, but he didn’t believe me,” Harkness said. Hein’s next competition will be the American Open finals next month. Inhatsi Pauliukavets (AIN) The first three in the European Junior Championships were among those hoping to overhaul Hein, along with the Individual Neutral Athlete Inhatsi Pauliukavets from Belarus, who made five from six. Pauliukavets, 18, was unable to lift in the European competition but here he outperformed his continent’s top three juniors, making 156-192-348 for second place. European champion Suren Grigoryan from Armenia, who was second in last year’s World Juniors, had two lifts remaining when everybody else had finished. But he had missed two snatches and needed to make up 12kg, which was beyond him. The Georgian Zurab Mskhaladze, second behind Grigoryan in July, was third here on 155-191-346. The 18-year-old European bronze medallist Ertjan Kofsha, from Albania, won snatch gold but made only his final clean and jerk, finishing fourth on 159-186-345. Jonathan Ramos from Mexico took clean and jerk silver on 192kg and finished sixth, one place behind Grigoryan. In the women’s event Nicholson missed three of her attempts and was in tears before the medal ceremony, but given the gap in age and experience, Jimenez was always favourite. Kelin Jimenez (ECU) This last appearance as a junior was the 16th competition of her career for Jimenez, 20, despite losing an entire year when the Covid pandemic wrecked the weightlifting calendar. By comparison Nicholson had competed only once before, winning the youth world title in Albania in March, three months before her 17th birthday. Jimenez has finished sixth in the senior World Championships twice, and won the Pan American junior title this year. Now she can take a well-earned rest. “I like to work hard and compete,” she said. “I want to be busy, I don’t like to take vacations but I have had a knee injury preparing for this and now I will have a break because of that.” Angeles Cruz (MEX) Jimenez narrowly escaped a catastrophic injury last year when she dropped the barbell on her back and passed out at the Bolivarian Games in Colombia. But she had done nothing serious and was back on the platform a few weeks later at the senior Pan American Championships. Because Ecuador has Olympic gold and silver medallists Neisi Dajomes and Tamara Salazar in the 81kg category, Jimenez said she plans to stick at her current weight in the seniors. Her successes have inspired her younger brother, Michael. “He is 12 and he just lifted in a national competition for the first time,” said Jimenez, who made 104-130-234. Nicholson posted 105-122-227 from her three good lifts, and unsuccessfully went for a youth world record total on her final attempt at 127kg. The Mexican Angeles Cruz was third on 100-123-223. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Guadalajara, Day 5: Gold in her home gym for Garcia – and Kazakh teen wins in Mexico for a second time

Mariana Garcia gave her noisy supporters plenty to cheer when she won a world title not just in her own nation and home city, but at her home gym on day five of the World Junior Championships in Guadalajara. Garcia, 20, has trained at the Weightlifting Forum and competed in this auditorium since she was 12. She finished well clear of her rivals in the women’s 71kg, prompting her many friends and family in the audience to burst into song with the Mexican favourite Cielito Lindo. There were plenty more cheers when Garcia was presented with a sweep of gold medals. The crowd sang along with Garcia when the national anthem was played, but before it finished her emotions got the better of the champion and the tears interrupted her singing. Mariana Garcia (MEX) “I won medals in other events, but here with my people, singing the anthem it was really exciting and really emotional,” Garcia said after posing for dozens of photos with family, friends and team-mates. “When I heard that these Championships would be held in Guadalajara it was a regular training day here in this gym, about a year ago. I was really excited to know that I would compete in a World Championships in front of my own people. “It was really tough, following my coach’s instructions and training hard for a long time. I was always motivated by knowing I would be competing at home and I enjoyed the process. “It was a big responsibility but I enjoyed every lift and I focused on making everybody proud." Women's 71kg podium Garcia had won six medals before, including gold at this year’s Pan American Juniors in Colombia, and had made bigger numbers too. This time she always looked the likely winner and finished 93-123-216. The champion was the only one of 10 athletes to make a bigger total than the winners at 59kg and 64kg. Phattharathida Wongsing from Thailand has won world and Asian youth titles this year with exactly the same numbers, 92-120-212. Here Wongsing, 17, made 92kg in snatch yet again, but finished lower on 92-116-208 in second place. Another who underperformed was third-placed Martyna Dolega from Poland. Her 93-111-204 was 12kg below her winning total at the European Junior Championships in July. It could have been worse because Dolega did not keep her eye on the clock and dashed out to make her second clean and jerk with two seconds to spare. While Garcia was winning in Mexico for the first time, Yedige Yemberdi from Kazakhstan did it for a second time. He won the youth world title in León last year and today, in his first junior competition, he moved up from ninth place in snatch to win the men’s 81kg. Yedige Yemberdi (KAZ) Yemberdi, 18, thumped his chest after each lift and led the applause himself after making 145-191-336. That made it three wins in three international appearances. Gaygysyz Torayev from Turkmenistan, who finished sixth at the senior Worlds two months ago, looked favourite for the title at halfway but he missed his last two attempts and finished 151-184-335. Gaygysyz Torayev (TKM) Saba Asanidze from Georgia, whose father Giorgi is national head coach, made a good recovery to claim third place. He did not get the barbell above his knee on his first clean and jerk attempt because of a thigh problem but came out to make the next two for a career-best 149-184-333. There was a B Group medallist when Preston Powell, an American who is training to be a commercial pilot, made a 26kg improvement on his personal best. “All those days of waking up early to go the gym, all those days of training – it’s totally worth it when you feel like this,” Powell said after making 150-182-332. That was good enough for snatch bronze and fourth place overall. Powell, 20, finished 10th at last year’s World Juniors on 306kg. “I was jumping from coach to coach for a while because I’m at college and I changed from studying business, which I hated, to aviation university in Auburn, Alabama,” he said. Since August he has been with Spencer Arnold, coach of several champions including the Olympic gold medallist Maude Charron. Powell has about 65 hours of flying under his belt and needs “200 to 300 hours” before he can get a pilot’s licence. “My aim is to fly businessmen around the world in private planes,” he said. “But if it comes to it, aviation can wait – weightlifting comes first.” By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio

Guadalajara, Day 4: Venezuelan wins despite travel trouble – and Canadian teen has a day to remember

Reinner Arango, whose journey from Venezuela was delayed by a day, was standing on top of the podium eight hours after he landed in Mexico. He claimed the best result of his career by winning the men’s 73kg title at the World Junior Championships in Guadalajara. There was drama, too, in the other event on day four. Katie Estep became the United States’ second champion of the week and the Canadian B Group lifter Charlotte Simoneau had a day she will never forget in the women’s 64kg. Two Venezuelan women in that session had travelled with Arango and had to head straight from the airport to weigh in. When they missed a connecting flight, the three athletes had to stay overnight in Cancun and fly to Guadalajara on Saturday morning. Claudia Rengifo and Keily Silva, aged 16 and 17, finished eighth and 11th despite their lack of preparation. Reinner Arango (VEN) Arango, 19, made five good lifts in his 141-176-317, a 16kg improvement on the total that won him the Pan American junior title in May. He was more interested in talking about his future than the troubled journey. “This is definitely the best performance of my career,” he said. “I was a 67 for a very long time before I moved up at the Pan American juniors, and when I made 301kg there it was my first try at the new weight. Since then I’ve done a lot of hard work in training and I’m more used to the new weight. “Now I want to be part of the elite in senior competitions. I might still be a junior but I want to go in and beat the seniors - I can do it.” Europe had six of the eight A Group athletes, including five of the top six finishers at this year’s European Junior Championships. But the only non-Europeans in the field finished first and second, Arango and the Japanese debutant Rakuei Azuma, who made an impressive 140-176-316. Azuma got his final attempt at 178kg above his head but lost the lift backwards. Rakuei Azuma (JPN) Snatch winner Ismail Jamali from Spain was third on 145-170-315 ahead of the European champion Tiberiu Donose from Romania, who was second in snatch and fourth on total. The United States went top of the medals table when Estep won. The target to beat for her and four other gold medal hopefuls was 213kg, set by 18-year-old Simoneau three hours earlier in the B Group. Simoneau’s 95-118-213 was 28kg higher than her entry total, 23kg up on her previous international best, and her first six-from-six at this level. Katie Estep (USA) She was asked to stay at the venue until the end of the A session because she was in contention for the top three, and spent the next few hours watching the men’s 73 B Group, then the 64kg A Group, nervously wondering where she might finish. It was so emotionally draining that by the end of the session, and also after the medal ceremony, Simoneau was in tears. “It feels so special to win any medal,” said Simoneau. “I was very emotional. I will have a good sleep tonight and when I get home I’m going to celebrate with my family.” With three lifts to come in snatch, Simoneau was in with a chance of gold but also at risk of finishing out of the medals. The Individual Neutral Athlete Katsiaryna Yakushava, from Belarus, went into the lead, then the other two – Olha Ivzhenko from Ukraine and Tugs-Ederne Otgonchimeg from Mongolia - failed and Simoneau was left in second place at halfway. With Estep and her USA team-mate Sophia Shaft also in contention there was only 3kg between the top six in snatch. It was just as tense during the last few clean and jerks. Yakushava missed all three attempts and failed to make a total, Otgonchimeg missed her last two, and at the finish there were three contenders for gold on total – Ivzhenko, Estep, and Simoneau. Women's 64kg podium Ivzhenko did not go high enough to overtake Simoneau, aiming instead for clean and jerk gold. With two attempts to go only Estep could overtake Simoneau, and she did it with a lift to spare by making 120kg. “I knew my clean and jerks were really good,” said Estep. “I was aware (of Simoneau’s B Group numbers) but worrying about what other people do doesn’t help. I like to focus only on myself and usually it works out.” This was the first international competition at 64kg for both Estep and Simoneau, and the second for third-placed Ivzhenko. “It feels good, I feel stronger,” said Estep, who is studying business and pre-medical. “I was 55kg from age 12 to 17 and it feels nice to not have to worry about what I eat, especially as I’m in college right now.” She is hoping that 64kg will be one of the weight categories for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, the long-term target for the top USA juniors. “I want somewhere where I feel comfortable, where I don’t have to either stuff my face or starve myself,” she said. The decision on 2028 weight classes is more than a year away. Simoneau, from Saint-Hyacinthe in Quebec, said she and her coach, Yvan Darsigny, opted for the less pressurised B Group because moving up the national rankings was a priority. “I’m not saying I didn’t want a medal, but I needed a good total. Moving up the rankings can help with funding and it makes a big difference to me.” Estep made 94-120-214, a career best by 9kg, Simoneau 95-118-213 and Ivzhenko 93-115-208. Yakushava won the snatch on 96kg, with Otgonchimeg third behind Simoneau on 95kg.   Yakushava, 19, looked strong and her failures in clean and jerk were a surprise. Her 96kg was better than the snatch efforts posted by her older team-mate Dziyana Maiseyevich in winning two senior competitions this year.  By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio