Cali, Day 6: Photo Gallery
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Cali, Day 6: World record and yet another gold for Kazakhstan in classic men’s contest – and women’s title for Tunisia
Teenagers from Kazakhstan and Spain went head to head in the best session of the week at the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia, the men’s 88kg. Tunisia claimed gold in the women’s 77kg, in which the Philippines won its sixth medal on total. Nurzhan Zhumabay and Erik Guadamud Pico, whose combined age is 31, marked themselves out as athletes for the future in a classic session that featured four world record attempts. Nurzhan Zhumabay (KAZ) Only one was successful, but there are sure to be more attempts in the coming months and years. Zhumabay, 15, won on 155-193-348. In beating the clean and jerk world standard he confirmed Kazakhstan as the strongest men’s team in the world in this age group in recent years. Nine of the 11 world titles Kazakhstan has won since 2022 have been by men. Since new weight categories came into effect last year Kazakhstan has claimed five men’s youth world records, all within the past nine months. Zhumabay looked unimpressed after finishing on 155kg in snatch, a kilo behind the 16-year-old Spaniard, having missed his second attempt. Guadamud Pico went for the world record on 161kg but failed. Erik Guadamud Pico (ESP) They pushed each other in clean and jerk too. Guadamud Pico would have had two world records if he had made his final attempt at 194kg. He failed and finished 156-188-344. Zhumabay then took a shot at 200kg but could not clean it. Zhumabay has won all three of his international competitions, Asian Youths, Asian Youth Games and now the World Youths, improving his total by 33kg in a year. Since making his international debut 15 months ago Guadamud Pico has taken his total from 295kg to 344kg and he now has a national senior record in snatch. He is already being described in the media as “one of Spanish sport’s great prospects”. He was born and raised in Spain, whereas his older brother Juan is competing for Ecuador, where he was born. The brothers’ father is Eduardo Guadamud, who lifted for Ecuador at the 2008 Olympic Games. Third-placed Jose Mantilla from Mexico was also in good form. His 151-184-335 gave him a sweep of continental youth records. To complete a truly global top four – Asia, Europe, Latin America, Africa – Mohammed Albakhnasi from Libya was next on 141-172-313, a day after Abdulrauf Khalifa became Libya’s first ever World Youths medallist. Ghrissa Ghofrane (TUN) Africa had a winner in a tight finish in the women’s 77kg. Ghrissa Ghofrane from Tunisia held on for victory after building a lead in snatch. The continental youth and junior champion Ghrissa, whose brother Rayen lifted at the 2023 World Youths, made 90-110-200. Jea Mae Palagtiw from the Philippines made the same total and would have won if she had opted for (and made) a kilo more on her final attempt. Palagtiw finished 88-112-200, becoming the sixth medallist on total for her country in Cali, five of them female. The Women's 77kg category podium Polina Kalnyk from Ukraine won clean and jerk gold and finished third on 87-112-199. The silver and bronze snatch medallists – Iris Valencia from Ecuador and Flavia Hreapca from Romania – dropped to fourth and fifth on total. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio
Cali, Day 5: Photo Gallery
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IWF President Mohammed Jalood receives Honorary Doctorate in Rome
The IWF President Mohammed Jalood has been awarded the Doctorate Honoris Causa in Sport Governance and International Relations by the prestigious ACS-ASOMI College of Science during a ceremony held this week at the CONI Hall of Honor in Rome (ITA). President Jalood was among a distinguished group of international sports leaders honoured by the institution, alongside CONI President Luciano Buonfiglio, and IOC Members Giovanni Malagò and Ivo Ferriani. The ceremony celebrated outstanding contributions to international sport, governance, education, and the promotion of Olympic values. Dario Silvestri (Academy's President), Mohammed Jalood (IWF President) and Antonio Urso (former IWF General Secretary) The honorary degree was awarded in recognition of President Jalood's "constant commitment to the sport of Olympic weightlifting" and his leadership in advancing the global development of the sport. The ceremony was attended by leading figures from the Olympic Movement, international federations, academia, and the sports community. It also featured the participation of Professor Antonio Urso, former President of the Italian Weightlifting Federation (FIPE), former IWF General Secretary, and current Head of the Department of Sport and Exercise Science at ACS-ASOMI College of Science. "It is a great honour to receive this recognition, not only personally but on behalf of the entire global weightlifting family," said IWF President Mohammed Jalood. "I sincerely thank the ACS-ASOMI College of Science for this prestigious tribute, as well as the Italian Weightlifting Federation and CONI for their continued friendship and unwavering support of our sport. I would also like to express my deepest appreciation to Professor Antonio Urso, whose invaluable work and lifelong dedication to weightlifting - both in Italy and internationally, including his years of service as IWF General Secretary - have made a lasting contribution to our movement. This recognition is also a tribute to everyone who works every day to strengthen and promote weightlifting around the world." The event concluded with a session dedicated to Sport Diplomacy, highlighting the growing role of sport as a platform for international cooperation, dialogue between institutions, and cultural exchange, while reinforcing the connection between higher education and the global sporting community. IWF
Cali, Day 5: USA and Egypt take world titles, and Libya wins landmark medals
Addie Jones from the United States and Ali Abdelradi from Egypt were dominant champions on day five of the IWF World Youth Championships in Cali, Colombia. Their victories ended a run of four straight wins by European nations. Abdelradi, who holds all three youth world records at 79kg, did not make any attempts to better them in Cali but did not need to, finishing 13kg clear with a five-from-six 143-175-318. Addie Jones (USA) Jones was helped to 69kg victory on her World Championships debut by one of the biggest names in the sport in the United States. Mike Gattone, USA Weightlifting’s performance director and head coach, is there for all team members at international events – but with Jones he has a stronger presence because he is her personal coach at her home gym near Chicago. Two B Group lifters made the podium on total as Jones finished 12kg clear on 91-114-205, making all six lifts and claiming a sweep of national youth records. “Addie’s very committed, trains five times a week and I’m real proud of her,” said Gattone. He has been personal coach to other international medallists including Abby Raymond and Jackie Berube-Black - who is also part of the national coaching team and is in Cali - but Jones was his first athlete to win on the global stage since Tara Nott’s gold medal at the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games. “I wouldn’t say it makes any difference that I’m Addie’s personal coach when Addie is part of the team, because I give the same level of commitment and attention to everyone, but it’s a good feeling,” said Gattone. “I first went into coaching back in 1990. Of course there were people coaching at clubs and gyms but at that time there were only two full-time paid weightlifting coaches in the US, Dragomir Cioroslan at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and me at a not-for-profit project in Peoria, Illinois, aimed at getting at-risk kids into the sport. It changed my life.” Jones, who was 17 last month and started lifting aged nine, said of Gattone, “He’s the best. I’m on a roll of going six-for-six in my past few competitions and I was expecting a medal here. Mike has done a lot of work with me for this, physical and mental, and it really helped.” Jones and Rhianne Cabalida (PHI) Hagar Roshdy from Egypt, who had the highest entry total and was expected to challenge for medals, was not fit to lift and withdrew. Ilenia Vella from Italy and Edith Rios from Mexico won medals from the A Group but not on total. Vella took silver in clean and jerk and finished fourth on 81-106-187, while Rios was third in snatch and sixth overall on 86-98-184. Rhianne Cabalida, 15, failed with her final two attempts in the B Group but was second in snatch, third in clean and jerk and second on total for the Philippines on 88-105-193. Beyonce Bolanos (ECU) Beyonce Bolanos was so surprised to win a medal that she was not there for the ceremony. Bolanos, from Ecuador, was fifth in snatch, fourth in clean and jerk and third on total from the B Group on 83-105-188. Abdelradi finished 13kg clear in the men’s event, making five from six for 143-175-318. It was a welcome and convincing victory for Egypt after disappointing earlier performances, two of which were marred by elbow injuries. Ali Abdelradi (EGY) There was a famous achievement for Libya when Abdulrauf Khalifa finished second. He made 137-168-305, moving up from fourth at halfway to become Libya’s first ever medallist at the World Youths. Libya had its first success at the World Juniors two years ago in Spain, when Mohammed Alzintani was third at 73kg, but has never won a senior World Championships medal. Men's 79kg category podium Khalifa’s father, Abdalla, won international medals around the turn of the century. Third place in a tight finish went to Yernur Myrzakhmet from Kazakhstan on 142-162-304. Arsenii Kurochkin from Russia was third in clean and jerk on 166kg and came desperately close to making the 174kg he needed for a medal on total. He could not lock out the lift and ended up seventh overall. Yigitham Eroglu from Turkiye took snatch bronze on 139kg and finished fourth when, like Kurochkin, he failed with his last two attempts. By Brian Oliver Photos by Giorgio
Cali, Day 4: Photo Gallery
Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia [gallery size="large"
