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Bucharest junior WC, women +75 kg, A new Korean superstar on the scene

The group of 15 women (there were three 16 years old among them) had very interesting composition. First of all Niue (an island nation in the South Pacific Ocean) had it first appearence at world championship. Their representative Narita Wiliamu had a very good start with three good attempts in snatch (placed 5th) but finally she could not move up from her first weight in clean and jerk and she was ranked 7th worse than expected by the delegation members. Holley Mangold (20) was another sensation of the group as no heavier woman had ever entered the field (173.38 kg). (The heaviest in Beijing was Olha Korobka (UKR) 166.97 kg) A year after Cali junior world championships she increased her weight by 5 kg and progressed by 27 kg in total. This year she had the 9th position. There was a 16 year old Chinese girl, An Yunmo who just had her opener lift in snatch good to be No 4th. Finally she remained 4th in total (by bodyweight difference) however received her first ever bronze medal in clean and jerk. The title holder Russian Kachaeva (19) was not able to reach the top again as 20 years old Korean Lee was stronger in both disciplines. Both had nice progress wit 3-3 good attempts.Kachaeva was very motivated and she had a perfect evening performance with 6 good lifts out of 6. She improved 25 kg between Cali and Bucharest junior Worlds but she had a stronger rival. However Korean Lee missed her first attempt in clean and jerk. After a little correction she jerked 141 kg which made her to be the owner for the other two gold medals. But she wanted more and she was able to lift 150 kg! She might be the successor of the Olympic champion compatriot Jang Mi-ran. It would be a mistake to forget 17 years old Abdel Rahman Khalil Abir. The Egyptian girl was world champion a year ago in Cali in 69 kg. Here she had 75.33 kg (!) body weight and just with three good attempts won bronze in total (by lighter bodyweight) 243 kg. This result would have been worth for silver medal in category 75

Bucharest junior WC, men 94 kg, the best show up to now

Who could have thought the final ranking was the same with the snatch podium composition. Russian Alexandr Ivanov was the leading figure passing snatch by 175 kg, 5 kg ahead of Chinese Li Bing. The rivalry was very sharp between these two top athletes in clean and jerk as well. Li Bing made the first mistake not lifting 216 kg. It was enough for him to loose the chance for gold medal. Ivanov already was winner but he tried to lift 216 kg as well. The could not concentrate any more and missed this weight. He was a winner of three gold medals and no question he produced the best show up to know. Korean Goo had three attempts but no

Bucharest Junior WC, women 75kg, Li Rongyan: That is how I like it

Women 75 kg category had again a Chinese winner. Li Rongyan had a lot of potential however she was succesful only with her opener snatch. This way Novakovich (BLR) could grap the first place. Asian girls were very nervous, Korean Lee was succesful only one time, like Li. Concerning snatch medalists they had only four good attempts out of nine. They really had great expectations. Snatch winner Novakovich had no more card to play in clean and jerk. Russian Karpunenko was strong enough to be ranked third (125 kg). Last year's three times World champion Lee was chasing Novakovich and finally she lifted 135 kg. Good for silver in clean and jerk and and in total. There was no question about the winner as Li 135 and 140 kg. She already won but had mental strength to concentrate to prove her abilities despite of her very poor snatch

Vitali wins comeback award!

WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko has been chosen by the legendary sports stars of the Laureus World Sports Aacdemy as the 2009 Laureus world comeback of the year. The announcement that Vitali Klitschko had won the Laureus Comeback Award was made by the Laureus World Sports Academy Chairman, Edwin Moses, and fellow Academy members Boris Becker and Katarina Witt in Dortmund, Germany on the eve of brother Wladimir Klitschko's fight against Ruslan Chagaev. The other nominees for the Laureus World Comeback of Year Award were Australians: Anna Meares, who won an Olympic silver medal eight months after breaking her neck in a cycle crash, golfer Greg Norman, who finished third in the British Open, Germany's Matthias Steiner, who won a weightlifting Olympic gold medal a year after his wife died in a car crash, Holland's Maarten van der Weijden, who won an Olympic swimming gold medal after beating leukemia, and American Tiger Woods, who returned two months after a serious knee injury to win the US Open golf championship.(By Alexey

Bucharest junior WC, men 85 kg, Super performance of Zielinski brothers

Albanian Tabaku was lucky enough to remain in competititon with 166 kg snatch for his third trial. Polish Adrian Zielinski was ahead of him by 3 kg and Russian Aukadov was behind him by another 3 kg. However, clean and jerk brought a new protagonist into the play. Tomasz Zielinski lifted 201kg. There was no succesful answer for this attempt to surpass.  This lift resulted him a gold in clean and jerk and a bronze in total. Adrian Zielinski was again stronger than Tabaku by 3 kg in clean and jerk as well however the Albanian tried to focus all his strength on his last attempt to change the final result. He was not able to stop Adrian Zielinski winning the gold in total by 368 kg. Tabaku had a significant progress comparing to  his Cali achievement by 5th place and 328 kg a year ago. This year he lifted 34 kg more silver medal. At last year's junior World championships Zielinski brother touched bottom by unsuccesful lifts. Tomasz was eliminated in 77 kg clean and jerk, while Adrian had zero total failing all his clean and jerk attempts in 85 kg. This year they had the top positions in clean and jerk collecting gold and silver medal.

Bucharest Junior WC, women 69 kg, Chinese Li six good attempts, three gold medals

The opening attempts of both Chinese and Colombian lifters were succesful, but finally Colombian Solis made a mistake in snatch and lost to Li Changying.The Chinese found herself on the lead (111 kg). Olympic fourth placed Solis had succesful movements in clean and jerk (130 kg, 136 kg) Li finally jerked 137 kg. Solis was encouraged to try 142 kg for the gold but she was not strong enough for that weight. In this way Solis had to be satisfied with 2nd place again like a year ago when she lost to Egyptian Khalil at Cali junior WC. She had a tremendous development during the year as improved 10 kg.There was an interesting dual between Russian Zubova sisters. Maria won bronze medal and Olga became fourth after she withdrew from her last attempt. Last year bronze medallist Kim (KOR) had very poor performance with just opening attempts in snatch and clean and jerk. She had only position No 6 by3 kg less total result than a year before.