Riyadh, Day 12: Photo Gallery
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Riyadh, Day 12: China’s Liang claims landmark weightlifting record – and Koanda suffers shock defeat
Liang Xiaomei did something that nobody had managed in five years when she extended her lead at the top of the Olympic rankings and claimed China’s seventh victory at the IWF World Championships here. When new weight categories came into use in at the 2018 IWF World Championships, world standards were set for each of them. Because those standards had never been surpassed in snatch, clean and jerk or total there were no world records in the women’s 81kg. Liang Xiaomei (CHN) When Liang, who will be 26 on Wednesday, made her final attempt at 159kg and became the first 81kg clean and jerk world record holder. Her older Olympic champion team-mate Wang Zhouyu, who won in Tokyo at 87kg but has had to drop down since that weight was dropped for Paris, declined her final attempt after reaching 155kg, leaving Liang in the limelight. Oceania had its first medallist of the Championships when Eileen Cikamatana finished third behind Liang and Wang. The Chinese pair’s numbers are very similar and, said Liang, “that really helps us to improve, because we push each other in training”. Wang Zhouyu (CHN) The only Olympic category with three blanks for record holders now is the men’s 102kg, in which so many athletes have underperformed throughout qualifying. Liang made all six lifts to win on 122-159-281, and is within range in snatch and total, where the world standards are 127kg and 283kg. Wang, 29, made 122-155-277, her best total by some distance at this weight. Neisi Dajomes from Ecuador was third at halfway but retired, leaving Eileen Cikamatana and Mattie Rogers to make it a battle between Australia and the United States for third place. Cikamatana, who has taken two years to fully recover from a bad injury sustained at the 2021 World Championships, claimed it on 110-146-256, her best total at this weight since January 2020. “That was a surprise because I didn’t know what I was doing in terms of medals, I just knew I had to go out and make my lifts,” she said after finishing 4kg clear of Rogers, who improved her best qualifying total by 4kg. Her first qualifying total puts Cikamatana straight in at sixth place. Eileen Chikamatana (AUS) “I was like, ‘Oh, two bronze medals, that’s nice.’ Now I’ll try to do better in Qatar.” That means two Olympic qualifiers in three weeks for Cikamatana, the Oceania Championships in Solomon Islands and that IWF Grand Prix II in Doha in November and December. Solfrid Koanda, Norway’s strongest electrician, suffered a shock when she bombed out of the women’s 87kg. She moved up from the Olympic 81kg category, in which she is third in the rankings, and was one of the strongest favourites in any weight category in Riyadh after four straight wins. Koanda, who gave up her day job to become a full-time weightlifter last year, prepared well but failed three times to make a snatch of 115kg. After the first bomb-out of her international career, Koanda came out to make a personal best in clean and jerk to win by a huge margin. She made all three lifts at 140kg, 150kg and 156kg. “I have had the wind behind me for a year but this time no,” Koanda said. “These things can happen in sport, and better here than in Paris. “I am still happy – I trained well, had a good preparation, and I will learn from this.” The winner on total was Lo Ying-yuan from Chinese Taipei on 112-133-245, which was 15kg lower than Koanda’s winning total last year. Lo Ying-yuan (TPE) The Colombian Yeinny Geles was second on 106-138-244. There were cries of despair from third-placed Jung Aram from Korea, who failed with a final attempt that would have put her on top of podium. Jung made 107-134-241. Anastasiia Manievska from Ukraine received her snatch bronze, earned with a lift of 106kg, with her left arm in a sling after suffering an injury. Monique Araujo finished 14kg and seven places behind Lo but was every bit as happy as the champion and, along with her Swedish coach Patric Bettembourg, was in tears after making 105-126-231 in the B Group. Araujo, one of the two Weightlifting Refugee Team members here, had not competed for more than six years. In her “new” career she posted a personal best total to give substance to her belief that, one day, she would return to the platform. “I always felt in my heart that I would come back to weightlifting and the IWF helped me to do it. I owe them huge thanks,” she said after the tears had subsided. Araujo was cleaning homes after moving to the United States to escape abuse and persecution in her native Brazil, and had to give up weightlifting to scrape a living. “I had a lot of depression, a lot of bad things happened, I was working all day, eating badly … but I knew God would help me to return to this sport and it has happened.” Monique Araujo (WRT) Araujo watched a documentary about the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Refugee Team and when she asked about joining, she was redirected to the IWF board member Florian Sperl, who leads the refugee team project that was approved in March. She joined the team along with partner and WRT team-mate Aline de Souza – they jointly formed their own cleaning company in the US – and finally was able to return to “this sport I love”. Sperl was there to see it. “What a wonderful moment,” he said. By Brian Oliver, Inside the Games Photos by Giorgio
2024-2032 IWF Strategic Plan, Pillar 1: Safeguarding the IWF stars
When elaborating the 2024-2032 IWF Strategic Plan, and specifically looking into the main pillars sustaining the International Federation’s “building” for the years to come, the first evident conclusion was that “Athletes” should obviously be part of those structural foundations. The constitution of the Working Group itself left no doubts on the importance IWF stars should have in the future of weightlifting. Out of the nine members of that committee, two are members of the IWF Athletes Commission, its Chair Forrester Osei, and also Hidilyn Diaz, the first-ever Olympic champion (in any sport) from the Philippines. The tone was therefore set and it is clearly stated in the first-ever IWF Strategic Plan, unanimously approved this week in Riyadh by both the Executive Board and the Congress: “Athletes should always be at the core of the IWF activities. In addition to their role in the governing structure and their importance in decision-making procedures, athletes are the stars of the IWF events: therefore, optimal conditions must be created for them. From the strict anti-doping policy to the improvement of the Development Programme on a global scale, the IWF must ensure its lifters feel safe and secure, can compete in clean and fair events, continue to be a valuable asset in the Olympic programme, and play an active role in the promotion of the sport they love”. Hidilyn Diaz (PHI) was part of the IWF Strategic Plan working group After validating this first fundamental pillar – the IWF roadmap is the result of an extensive consultative process, by which the stakeholders of the IWF Family periodically gave their feedback on the several chapters from the Strategic Plan – it was necessary to provide some “substance” to this IWF priority. Sub-pillars were then proposed and accepted, all aiming at providing those “optimal conditions” specified above. The implementation of a robust, transparent, and reliable anti-doping strategy is naturally the main tool to ensure the fairness of the IWF events and ensure our athletes can compete in a clean environment. Since 2019, the IWF anti-doping activities have been performed by the International Testing Agency – this is a guarantee that the programme runs efficiently and independently. This effort and its positive results were highlighted this Tuesday by Ben Cohen, ITA’s Director General, during the IWF Congress in Saudi Arabia. This important topic may be fairly considered as part of a larger context related to the safeguarding of the IWF athletes. Also inside this enormous field, we can include the reinforcement of educational programmes, the implementation and further improvement of a gender identity policy (already in place), the creation of mechanisms to prevent harassment in sports, the development of an Athlete Transition programme (aimed at supporting lifters at the end of their competitive career), or the instauration of a prize money strategy at the IWF’s major events. The inclusive approach of these initiatives somehow materialised with the creation in 2023 of the first-ever IWF Refugee Team. Two of them took part in the World Championships in Riyadh: Aline de Souza and Monique Araujo. The latter was particularly happy today, after establishing and winning with a new personal best of 231kg the group B of the women’s 87kg. “The Refugee Team is the perfect example of what the IWF can do for the athletes who have gone through very difficult circumstances and are looking for an opportunity to compete. For me, it’s quite extraordinary to be here and live these moments. I had seven years to compete at the highest level and I managed to improve my best performance. It’s just unbelievable,” declared a very emotional Araujo at the end of her effort in Riyadh. Monique Araujo (WRT) Speaking more generally, the refugee athlete – she is originally from Brazil, but presently living in the USA – has no doubts: “The IWF is clearly in the good direction concerning the importance it gives to its athletes around the world. This and other projects will definitively improve our condition and importance within not only weightlifting but in the sports community in general”. Recalling some dramatic experiences from other lifters around the world, Araujo concludes: “You are literally saving lives with programmes like this one. A huge thanks to the IWF. I am now a new person!” Without getting to such extreme situations, the IWF already appointed a Safety and Integrity Officer and will establish, as part of the Plan, tools aimed at preventing injuries and mental health problems. Specific programmes for the lifters’ entourage are also in the pipeline. Moreover, the harmonious progress of weightlifting in the five continents cannot be dissociated from an additional effort from the IWF in its Development Programme. It is one of the “measurable” actions in the Strategic Plan: ideally, until 2028, our International Federation should invest 25% more funds than the ones allocated at present, and a further 15% should be achieved by 2032. The ambitious project concerning the IWF Academy project on a continental basis is also part of this “package”. Finally, athletes’ interests are also promoted when they have enhanced opportunities to show their value. The Olympic arena is the pinnacle of each lifter’s life. The IWF Strategic Plan is very clear: innovation and improved athlete quota are two goals for the years to come. On the number of competitors at the Games, there is also a precise target: 160 lifters across eight men’s and women’s events at the 2032 Olympic rendezvous – this represents a one-third rise on Paris 2024 numbers, with the positive consequence of also increasing the competition days and broadcast exposure. Another way to maximise the IWF stars’ influence is to establish Ambassador Programmes, directly involving the lifters in the promotion of the sport they cherish, using all possible digital platforms and channels at our disposal. Mattie Rogers (USA) After finishing fourth in the women’s 81kg, Mattie Rogers (USA) agreed to share her reflections on three key points specified in the Strategic Plan: prize money, improvement of the Olympic quota, and ambassador programmes. On the first one, she admits: “That would be so cool! I would love to see that implemented, as it would help a lot of the lifters. In most countries, this is a ‘broke’ sport, so the introduction of prize money would for sure help. That would be amazing”. Asked if a good starting point could be the award of World Record, Rogers smiles: “I will not get any of those, but it would be very good for the others achieving them!” On the Olympic quota, the US star is also quite enthusiastic: “It’s very positive as it would allow a bit more ‘space’ in each country for more athletes to take part in the Olympics. It doesn’t mean it becomes easier, it just means we could have more lifters going to the Games”. With a lot of followers on her social media platforms, Rogers is also keen on developing an ambassador programme: “It is a very important project – if we have athletes acting as ambassadors we can reach a wider audience and a different one that maybe the IWF alone cannot get. Only athletes know what they go through, so sharing those experiences is quite meaningful, especially for the younger athletes”. She concludes: “There is definitively an effort from the IWF to enhance the promotion and representation of the athletes and to improve things all around. This is all we ask for”. In the next weeks, every Friday, we will come back to each of the four pillars of the 2024-2032 IWF Strategic Plan. After this first one, we will successively analyse Pillar 2 (Enhancing the IWF events), Pillar 3 (Keeping the IWF safe), and Pillar 4 (Reaching beyond the IWF). By IWF Communications Photos by Giorgio
Riyadh, Day 11: Photo Gallery
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Riyadh, Day 11: Liu’s strong finish gives China 102kg gold ahead of B Group Korean Jang
The Chinese anthem was played for a sixth time at the IWF World Championships after Liu Huanhua won an epic 102kg contest and went to the top of the Paris 2024 rankings. On an exciting evening there were junior world records for Garik Karapetyan from Armenia, an Olympic champion down in seventh place, and Liu was the only A Group lifter to overcome a phenomenal effort from the B Group by the Korean Jang Yeonhak, who posted a total of 399kg. Liu Huanhua (CHN) Two other B Group lifters made the top 10, along with the Colombian Jhonatan Rivas from the C Group. Jang made 182-217-399 to take bronze in snatch and clean and jerk, and silver on total behind Liu, who made 180-224-404. The only other man to have made 400kg in qualifying, Nurgissa Adiletuly from Kazakhstan, is out of the race after a doping violation. Jang Yeonhak (KOR) Liu, 22 last month, was making only his third international appearance. He has gone from making 381kg at 89kg in last year’s IWF World Championships to 385kg at 96kg in winning the Asian title in May to 404kg at 102kg tonight. “It was very exciting - I was watching from the seats and to be honest I thought I would win a snatch bronze and nothing more,” said Jang. Neither he nor anybody else expected so many red lights at the end of the A session. While the others failed, Liu made his last two clean and jerks. After four qualifying events, Liu is the only eligible lifter to have breached the 400kg barrier, largely because Karapetyan, his team-mate Samvel Gasparyan and the Individual Neutral Athlete Yauheni Tsikhantsou, from Belarus, all missed lifts five and six. Any one of those six attempts, if successful, would have registered a 400kg total. Tsikhantsou had won the snatch and finished 183-211-394 in third place, while Karapetyan set junior records in snatch and total on 183-210-393, finishing 1kg behind team-mate Samvel Gasparyan on 178-216-394. Reza Dehdar from Iran had been hitting big numbers in training but made only two good lifts, as did 96kg Olympic champion Meso Hassona from Qatar. Meso’s 170-218-388 earned a clean and jerk silver but the total was bettered by two B Group lifters, Jang and Irakli Chkheidze from Georgia on 175-216-391. Meso will be expected to go bigger when Qatar hosts the next qualifier in December. Don Opeloge (SAM) Don Opeloge from Samoa was one place behind Meso on 171-215-386, a career best and also the outstanding performance by an Oceania lifter at these Championships. “We have been training in Samoa since the lockdown,” said national coach Jerry Wallwork. “It’s been a great camp this year and we are not done yet. We expect better results in Doha at the IWF Grand Prix.” That means a busy three-week period in November and December for Opeloge, who will be “going all out in the Oceania Championships and Doha, and pushing for the 400 total mark”. Medallists and even world records from B Groups have been commonplace in Riyadh, where one of the winners came from the C Group. “I prefer lifting in B because it’s calmer, easier, you can control the timing,” said Jang. “The A Group can be rushed, too stressful.” Garik Karapetyan (ARM) His team-mate Jin Yunseong, who sat out this contest with a minor knee injury, is only 1kg below Jang in the long list so a place in Paris is far from certain for Jang. “We train together, push each other – it’s good,” he said. Egypt had its second winner in two days when Sara Samir outclassed the opposition in the women’s 76kg despite being below peak fitness and making only two lifts. Sara Samir (EGY) Samir, ranked second at 81kg for Paris 2024, dropped down to 76kg to claim her second world title on 108-138-246, her lowest total in more than five years. It was good enough for gold, adding to the success of Karim Abokahla in the men’s 96kg last night. Samir declined her remaining attempts after making her openers and left the platform in some discomfort, having suffered a back injury only a week ago. Hellen Escobar (COL) The battle for silver and bronze was fought out between Hellen Escobar from Colombia, Bella Paredes from Ecuador and Kim Suhyeon from Korea. All three contenders missed their final attempts, leaving Escobar second on 106-136-242 and Paredes third on 105-135-240. None of the medallists would have made the podium in the lighter 71kg Olympic category on Wednesday night with those numbers. Brian Oliver, Inside the Games Photos by Giorgio
Sara Samir (EGY): “It was quite an easy competition!”
At 25, Sara Samir is a hero in her country. In 2016, at the Rio Olympics, she became the first-ever woman from Egypt to win a Games’ medal (in any sport), the bronze in the 69kg, with a total of 255kg. Accessorily, she was also the first Arab woman to get a weightlifting medal in the greatest sports event on the planet. Since then, she continued medalling at weightlifting major rendezvous: after a silver at the 2018 IWF World Championships, she finally gets the supreme consecration – the gold – at the 2022 IWF showcase, where she lifted 261kg in the 76kg. Today, in Riyadh, in the same category, a very relaxed Samir did probably one of the most efficient competitions in her career. With high entries in both snatch and clean and jerk, she patiently awaited the developments of her closest contenders. The strategy paid off, with a first successful snatch at 108kg (gold), then withdrawal from the last two attempts, and exactly the same thing in the clean and jerk – one good first lift at 138kg (also the best of the field), and then nothing. In the end, a winning total of 246kg was largely sufficient for the overall title. “It was a very easy competition for me! All went well and I didn’t have to make so much effort to get the gold,” admitted a smiling Samir after the medal ceremony. “This second consecutive title is the best possible appetizer towards my qualification to the Olympic Games, next year in Paris,” continued the Egyptian star. Looking at the Olympic Qualification Ranking, Samir is the second best in the 81kg, the bodyweight category that is part of the Games’ programme. In Riyadh, this competition will take place this Friday, but her 268kg achieved at the 2023 African Championships should guarantee a ticket for the French rendezvous. Only Liang Xiaomei (CHN) is better, with a 275kg effort achieved at this year’s Asian Championships. “I have more competitions until Paris, namely the 2024 African Champs, but also the IWF World Cup in Thailand,” admitted the two-time world champion. Cautious when asked about predictions for the Games, she just confesses that all the “indications so far are very positive”. However, for the record, this was her worst total since 2018, when she still competed at junior level. Since then, she has always lifted more than 250kg. Sara Samir was brought to weightlifting by her father and older brother, both connected to the sport. She started competing in 2010 (at the age of 12), and her first international result was registered in 2012, at the African Junior Championships – at the time, she already got the gold in the 63kg, with a total of 215kg. Tomorrow, for the A session of the 81kg, she will be naturally attentive to the performance of her main rivals in the Olympic ranking: Liang, but also Solfrid Koanda (NOR, third in 266kg), Tamara Salazar (ECU, fourth in 265kg), Yudelina Mejia (DOM, eight in 252kg), Mattie Rogers (USA, ninth in 248kg), and Laura Nascimento Amaro, from Brazil, closing the top-10 at 247kg. By Pedro Adrega, IWF Communications Photos by Giorgio
