News

Champions' Gala in Chelm

As emphasized by President of the Polish Weightlifting Federation Zygmunt Wąsiela Champions Gala in Chelm was a great promotion of weightlifting. Six women and ten men in different weight categories competed, among them the world champion Marcin Dolega, Georgian Kosabijew Arsen and Olympic silver medalist from Beijing, a Frenchman Vencelas Dabaya. The combination of weightlifters of artistic performances and meetings with prominent athletes from other disciplines, including swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak, is a very good promotion of our sport - Zygmunt Smalcerz said. According to the opinion of the Munich Olympic champion Zygmunt Smalcerz the weightlifting in Poland draws a great future. - We have many promising young lifters such as Daniel Dolega, the youngest of the family. If he will be well coached, he can reach the highest successes. Also Adrian Zielinski, Junior World and European Championships gold medalist has a fantastic future ahead - said Zygmunt Smalcerz. Patron of the event was three times Olympic bronze medalist (1956, 1964, 1968) Marian Zielinski who was born 80 years ago, on 24 December 1929 in Chelm. He was a weightlifter in club Legia Warsaw (1953-70). Marian Zielinski was the first Pole in this discipline, stood on the Olympic podium (1956 in Melbourne). Also the first to set world record (1958), and a year later won the world champion title. After retirement he was a coach. He began painting, carved in wood, carry out work in silver jewelry. He died on 13 October 2005 in Warsaw.

Champions’ Gala in Chelm

As emphasized by President of the Polish Weightlifting Federation Zygmunt Wąsiela Champions Gala in Chelm was a great promotion of weightlifting. Six women and ten men in different weight categories competed, among them the world champion Marcin Dolega, Georgian Kosabijew Arsen and Olympic silver medalist from Beijing, a Frenchman Vencelas Dabaya. The combination of weightlifters of artistic performances and meetings with prominent athletes from other disciplines, including swimmer Otylia Jedrzejczak, is a very good promotion of our sport - Zygmunt Smalcerz said. According to the opinion of the Munich Olympic champion Zygmunt Smalcerz the weightlifting in Poland draws a great future. - We have many promising young lifters such as Daniel Dolega, the youngest of the family. If he will be well coached, he can reach the highest successes. Also Adrian Zielinski, Junior World and European Championships gold medalist has a fantastic future ahead - said Zygmunt Smalcerz. Patron of the event was three times Olympic bronze medalist (1956, 1964, 1968) Marian Zielinski who was born 80 years ago, on 24 December 1929 in Chelm. He was a weightlifter in club Legia Warsaw (1953-70). Marian Zielinski was the first Pole in this discipline, stood on the Olympic podium (1956 in Melbourne). Also the first to set world record (1958), and a year later won the world champion title. After retirement he was a coach. He began painting, carved in wood, carry out work in silver jewelry. He died on 13 October 2005 in Warsaw.

Surprise birth for Chilean weightlifter during training

A Chilean Olympic weightlifter (Poblete finished 12th in Beijing Games) unexpectedly gave birth to a baby boy while she was training in a Brazilian gym. Elizabeth Poblete, 22, called for a doctor when she felt unwell a week ago while hoisting weights in the gym in Sao Paulo, where she lives, the news website Globo.com reported. She then gave premature birth to the 1.15-kilogram (2.54-pound) baby, whom she named Eric Jose after she got over her shock. Both mother and son were taken to hospital, where the baby was being kept in intensive care. The head weight trainer in the gym, Horacio Reis, said: "It was a surprise for me. A week ago I acted as a judge in a competition in Chile and this girl was competing. All went well and she won the competition. "I could see she was a big girl, round and strong. That's all I noticed." Poblete had admitted to feeling unwell during training a week before the birth, according to reports in Brazil, but was "shocked" to find she was pregnant. The boy was born at three months premature and remains in intensive care. However, Poblete has since left the hospital after telling Brazilian television she does not have the funds to continue medical care for her and her baby. The hospital has denied it discharged the 22-year-old because she failed to pay her bill.

IOC's Medal Design Competition to create the medal for the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Participants from more than 36 countries and 5 continents have contributed. The competition is now closed for entries and a gallery of medal designs can now be viewed online. Please visit www.medaldesigncompetition.com to vote for your favourite medal! Voting procedure will be open until 22 January 2010. The 10 best medals voted by the public will be presented to an IOC jury who will then elect the winning design. The winning designer will have the opportunity to see athletes awarded their medals in Singapore next summer from 14 to 26 August 2010.

IOC’s Medal Design Competition to create the medal for the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

Participants from more than 36 countries and 5 continents have contributed. The competition is now closed for entries and a gallery of medal designs can now be viewed online. Please visit www.medaldesigncompetition.com to vote for your favourite medal! Voting procedure will be open until 22 January 2010. The 10 best medals voted by the public will be presented to an IOC jury who will then elect the winning design. The winning designer will have the opportunity to see athletes awarded their medals in Singapore next summer from 14 to 26 August 2010.

Taqua lives her childhood dream

DESPITE being a school drop out, young weightlifter Raijeli Taqua is living her childhood dream of representing Fiji at international games. Like many other athletes, Taqua has carried on their family tradition in sport -- weightlifting. At only 14, the Baba lass from Levuka, Ovalau, already won some medals for Fiji. She won bronze medal at the Pacific Mini Games in Cook Islands in September. Taqua is following the footsteps of her uncle and Fiji weightlifting champion Joe Vueti and her two cousins Manueli Tulo and Maria Liku who are training at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia. She only reached Class Five at Marist Convent Primary School in Levuka but there was no turning back for the youngster as she set her sights on setting foot on international countries to represent her country. She never thought that she'll one day board a plane but playing the family sport is a cherished moment for Taqua as she continues to shine locally. Taqua is also the first Fiji athlete to be part of the Olympic Youth Games in Singapore next year. She said her trip to Singapore was a huge achievement to her young weightlifting career. She said her uncle's advice is what she cherished to her young weightlifting career. "I followed my uncle (Jo Vueti) a lot and I'm not surprised to end up competing at international games like him. It's a dream come true for me and I'll want to achieve the highest of it." Her two cousins Liku and Tulo are in New Caledonia. Taqua said she is motivated with what her two cousins are achieving in New Caledonia. "My aim is to train alongside my two cousins in New Caledonia. I know that it would be very tough but I'm working on that now." She urged her peers to strive for the best. She said not everybody would be good academically but there are God-given talents which we should utilise to the fullest. "I left school at Class Five but that was not the end of the road for me. I did my best and I only thank God for giving me this talent. I'll utilize this to the fullest and achieve the highest no one weightlifter in Fiji has ever achieved." Taqua is doing intensive training in the country and would soon jet out to join her Liku and Tulo in New Caledonia to prepare herself for the Olympic Youth Games next