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Donny Shankle | The 2015 Arnold Weightlifting Championships

A true veteran of the sport, Donny Shankle went 6 for 6 at the Arnold Weightlifting Championships in early March. The four-time National Champion was named The United States' Most Inspirational Lifter at the 2007 Arnold, and didn't disappoint this year. After tweaking an old shoulder injury on his last snatch, Donny admitted he should have stopped to prevent further damage, but that wouldn't be true Shankle style. Like the badass he is, he thought, "F*ck it", and kept lifting, hitting a total of 300 Kgs. for the weekend.  Donny Shankle, Post-Arnold Quote: Yuri Vlason on The White Moment "At the peak of tremendous and victorious effort, while the blood is pounding in your head, all suddenly comes quiet within you. Everything seems clearer and whiter than ever before, as if great spotlights had been turned on. At that moment, you have the conviction that you contain all the power in the world, that you are capable of everything, that you have wings. There is no more precise moment in life than this, the WHITE MOMENT, and you will work hard for years, just to taste it again."

Mar 16, 2015

Tatiana Kashirina | The 2015 Arnold Weightlifting Championships

  Tatiana Kashirina (75+, Russia) competed at The 2015 Arnold Weightlifting Championships earlier this month, where she seemed to annihilate both the women and men's numbers. This really comes as no surprise, knowing Kashirina is the current World Women's Super Heavyweight Champion, and took a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics, where she set world records in the snatch (155 kgs/342 lbs) and clean and jerk (193 kgs/425 lbs). While throwing down at The Arnold, the Russian World Champ put up an easy 310 kgs total, looking more like she was lifting on a light training day.  Catching up, Post-Arnold  Snatch 1 115 Kgs.

Mar 16, 2015

Vardanian, Garcia and Lee round out men's team for Pan Am

Vardanian, Garcia and Lee round out men's team for Pan Am   The heavyweights came out Saturday night at the Arnold Weightlifting Championship in Columbus, Ohio, vying for one of three slots for the team representing the United States at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, July 10-26.   Norik Vardanian secured a slot on the team with a total of 368 kgs. The 94-kg athlete put up a 165-kg snatch and 203-kg clean and jerk. David Garcia, competing in the 105-kg weight class, claimed his place with a 171-kg snatch and 205-kg clean and jerk for a 376-kg total.   Earlier in the day, male athletes competing in the 56-, 62-, 69-, 77- and 85-kg weight classes went head to head. Alex Lee, competing in the 69-kg weight class, secured his place on the Pan Am team with a total of 295 kgs.   Caine Wilkes had the crowd on its feet after going three for three in his snatch attempts, finishing with a 180-kg lift. Wilkes, competing in the 105+ weight class, put up impressive numbers in the clean and jerk, with a 220-kg lift, but failed to make the Pan Am team after failing his third lift.   Current American Record holder Colin Burns, 94-kg weight class, attempted to improve upon his previous snatch record of 169 kgs and almost secured a 170-kg snatch on his second attempt, but judges ruled it a no lift because he failed to control the lift. He failed to make the lift on his third attempt and he had to accept a 165-kg snatch. Burns put up a 195-kg clean and jerk for a 360-kg total.   Kevin Cornell and Donovan Ford, both in the 105-kg weight class, failed both of their first and second attempts at the snatch, but clinched their third attempts with a 158- and 159-kg snatch. Cornell also failed his first two attempts at the clean and jerk, relying on crowd support to help him eek out a 195-kg lift, which the judges ruled a no lift, resulting in no total. Ford made his first attempt at the clean and jerk with 192 kgs, but passed on his second and third attempts to end the day with a 353-kg total.   Representing Windy City Weightlifting, Shane Maier, 105+ kg weight class, also failed his first and second attempts, rebounding in his third attempt to secure a 163-kg snatch. Maier secured a 200-kg clean and jerk in his second attempt before failing on his third attempt for a total of 363 kgs.   Andrew Davis and Ethan Harak, both competing in the 105-kg weight class, secured their first snatch attempts with 150-kg and 155-kg, respectively. Both athletes failed their second and third attempts. Harak failed his first attempt at the clean and jerk, but made his second at 190 kgs before failing his third attempt, earning a total of 345 kgs. Davis also secured a 345-kg total, making a 195-kg clean and jerk on his first attempt. He failed his second and third attempts.   In a similar performance to Davis and Harak, 94-kg athlete Kendrick J. Farris made a good lift on his first attempt with 155-kg snatch, but failed his second and third attempts.Farris put up a 205-kg clean and jerk for a total of 360 kgs.   Dangelo Osorio, also in the 94-kg weight class, went three for three in his snatch attempts, ending with a 161-kg lift. He made two good lifts on his clean and jerk finishing with a 191-kg lift and a 352-kg total. Spencer Moorman, in the 105-kg weight class, also went three for three in the snatch, with a 163-kg lift in his third attempt. Moorman cleaned and jerked 201 kgs for a 364-kg total.   Both Jared Fleming, 94-kg weight class, and Michael Kreatsoulas, 105+ kg weight class, settled for 160-kg snatches after failing their third attempts to put up more weight. Fleming failed all of his attempts at the clean and jerk, failing to total. Kreatsoulas made a 200-kg clean and jerk on his second attempt for a total of 360 kgs. Read the Men's Session 1 Recap Here Read Women's Session Recap Here Catch all of the lifts here.

Mar 7, 2015

Vega, Mangold round out Women's Pan Am team - recap

The women took the stage this afternoon at the Arnold Weightlifting Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Ten female lifters ranging in weight classes from 53- to 75+ kgs competed for just two slots on Team USA at the Pan Am Games in Toronto July 10-26.   In the end, Geralee Vega and Holley Mangold claimed the Nos. 1 and 2 slots, with 215-kg and 244-kg totals, respectively.   In front of a packed house, the three lifters in the 53-kg class - Alyssa Ritchey, Samantha Lower and Ellen Kercher -- made quick work of their attempts. Ritchey made all three of her snatch attempts, with a 74-kg snatch; she also made all three of her attempts at the clean and jerk, hitting a high of 96 kgs for a total of 170 kgs. Lower hit six for six, easily snatching 75 kgs and clean and jerking 93 kgs for a total of 168 kgs. Kercher failed her third attempt and ended with a 75-kg snatch and missed her first two attempts at the clean and jerk, recovering for a 93-kg clean and jerk and a total of 168 kgs.   Jackie Black, competing in the 58-kg class, completed a successful first lift with a 74-kg snatch, but her second and third lifts were ruled no lifts by the judges. Black made her first two attempts at the clean and jerk with a 94-kg lift, but failed her third attempt for a total of 168 kgs. Also competing in the 58-kg weight class and dressed in a Wonder Woman singlet, Cortney Batchelor failed her all three of her attempts at 84-kgs and could not earn a total.   From Palo Alto Barbell, Mary Peck struggled in the slot on her second and third attempts at the snatch, but was able to recover for a 90-kg lift. The 63-kg competitor went for 112-kg clean and jerk, hitting the weight on her third attempt to move into the No. 2 slot for the Pan Am team.   Also competing in the 63-kg weight class, Leslie Mayville snatched 80 kgs on her third attempt and hit 100 kgs on her clean and jerk for a total of 180 kgs.   Ariel Stephens, representing Muscle Driver USA and competing in the 69-kg weight class, failed her first attempt, but recovered for a 91-kg snatch on her third attempt. Stephens opened with a 115-kg clean and jerk and attempted to knock Peck out of contention with a 122-kg clean and jerk, but failed the lift in her second and third attempts. Her total was 206 kgs.   Vega, already favored to make the Pan Am team, made all three of her snatches with a 95-kg lift on her third attempt. Vega opened with a 114-kg clean and jerk, solidifying her place on the team, and she improved her stats with a 120-kg lift on her third attempt for a total of 215 kgs.   Local celebrity and 2012 Olympic qualifier Mangold was the lone competitor in the 75+ weight class, completing a 104-kg snatch on her second attempt before failing her third attempt. The 2016 Olympic hopeful knocked Peck out of the No. 2 slot for the team with a 140-kg clean and jerk for a total of 244 kgs. Read the Men's Session 1 Recap Here Catch all of the lifts here.

Mar 7, 2015

Pan-American Trials: Men's 62-kg to 85-kg recap

Pan-American Trials: Men's 62-kg to 85-kg recap   Hundreds cheered Muscle Driver USA and Pan-American hopeful James Tatum as he approached the platform for his third snatch. Tatum, competing in the 77-kg weight class, failed his first attempt at nearly twice his bodyweight - 150 kilograms. He'd failed his second attempt, repeating the weight. For his third attempt, he increased weight by 4 kgs, to 154-kgs, desperate to stay in the competition. He gripped the bar, hoisted it above his head, and lost it. He withdrew from the competition.   Nine other male athletes in the 56-, 62-, 69-, 77- and 85-kg weight classes kept their dreams of making the Pan-American team, and Team USA, alive in the snatch portion of the competition.   Nerves may have gripped 16-year-old Michael White on his first lift, but the teenager from Diesel Weightlifting quickly recovered in his second two attempts, successfully snatching 101 kilos. White made his first two lifts on the clean and jerk, but failed his third attempt of 124-kgs. He ended the competition with a 222-kg total.   Identical twins Darren Barnes and Darrel Barnes attempted American and national records, but failed to clench the titles on their third attempts. Darren Barnes, competing in the 56-kg class, snatched 110-kgs and cleaned and jerked 128-kgs successfully, for a total of 238-kgs. Darrel Barnes, competing in the 62-kg class, snatched 115 kilos and cleaned and jerked 148 kilos for a total of 263-kg total.   Olympic hopeful Alex Lee failed his first two attempts at 129 kilos. He increased weight to 130 kilos for his third attempt and, with some support from the crowd, was able to stabilize in the squat and nab a successful third lift. Lee made quick work of his first attempt at the clean and jerk at 165-kgs. He increased to 176-kgs, which would earn him a new American Record and put him in the No. 1 slot to make the Pan-Am team. After failing his second attempt, Lee cleaned the weight easily, but failed to lock out for the jerk, losing the weight behind him.   Lifters Brian DeGennaro, Mason Groehler and Paul Woelmer, competing in the 69-kg, 77-kg, and 85-kg weight classes, each made their first lifts, but failed in their second attempts.    DeGennaro also failed his third attempt, finishing with a 118-kg snatch, but he withdrew from the competition after failing his first two attempts at the clean and jerk. Groehler made his third attempt at the snatch with 128-kgs and a new PR clean and jerk of 160-kgs for a total of 288-kgs. Woelmer failed his third attempts on both snatch and clean and jerk and was credited with a 125-kg snatch and a 161-kg clean and jerk for a total of 286 kgs.   Dark horse Angelo Bianco from Average Broz Gym had an impressive performance in the snatch, but failed all three of his attempts at the clean and jerk. The former wrestler began lifting 18 months ago and competes in the 77-kg weight class. He started off with an easy 135-kg snatch for his first attempt, but failed his second attempt at 140-kgs. He increased the load to 142-kgs, almost twice his bodyweight, for his third attempt and after a fight to stand up, he successfully completed the attempt.   Crowd favorite Travis Cooper easily snatched 142-kgs on his first attempt, but failed his second and third attempts. He recovered in the clean and jerk, lifting 182-kgs for a total of 324-kgs.

Mar 7, 2015

The Arnold Open 2015 Results

The Arnold Open 2015 Results

Mar 5, 2015

The Battle For Pan Ams Begins At The Arnold

  The words “Arnold Schwartzenager” and “muscle and brawn” go hand in hand.   This weekend, there will plenty of muscle and brawn at the 12th annual Arnold Weightlifting Championships, held in Columbus, Ohio as part of the Arnold Sports Festival.   The Arnold sports Festival is the worlds largest sports festival bringing in over 175,000 fans, 18,000 athletes, for over 50 sports. The Arnold Weightlifting Championships is a one-of-a-kind event boasting some of the biggest names in weightlifting who will be competing to qualify for the upcoming Pan American Games held later this year.   FloElite will be in Ohio covering all the action.   Event organizer Drew Dillon reflected on the growth of the sport of weightlifting, since the Festival’s beginning in 2003, and gave FloElite a little sneak preview of the muscle and brawn coming Friday March 6-Sunday March 8.    What are the things “to watch” at this year’s Championships? This year has some huge names to look out for in the sport of weightlifting. A true highlight will be current World Champion and World Record holder Tatiana Kashirina from Russia who will be lifting more weight then most of the men in the competition. However, there will be a number of elite men who will be pushing well past her numbers and battling it out for an opportunity to represent Team USA in the Pan American Championships! Of these men, are four 94 kilo men who represent the battle of the 94's! Olympian Kendrick Farris, Olympian Norik Vardanian, Jared Fleming, and Colin Burns will meet for the first time since nationals where Colin upset two Olympians to take gold!   What exactly will this competition entail?   The Arnold Championship is an opportunity for athletes to qualify to represent the USA. There are only 3 Men’s and 2 Women qualifying spots available for the athletes this year. So 30 of the best men in the US will be fighting for 3 spots. 15 of the best women in the US will be fighting for 2 spots. The athletes who lift the most in relationship to the NCS 5 year averages will be ranked as the best men and women in the country to be selected.   What sets it apart as a competition? Since its inception, the weightlifting championships, and its partners, have awarded nearly $200,000 to the competition’s top finishers in the form of cash, prizes, and scholarships.   Who are names/fames who have made history here in the past? Dimitry Kolkov competed back in 2004 and 2005 only to tell Russian media almost 10 years later that it was one of the best meets he has participated and wished that Russia had one. Related Articles:  FloElite To LIVE Stream The Arnold Championships!  

Mar 1, 2015

FloElite To LIVE Stream the 2015 Arnold Weightlifting Championships

FloElite is excited to announce that it will be streaming the 2015 Arnold Weightlifting Championships LIVE from Columbus, OH on March 5th-8th.  Considered the nation's premier weightlifting competition, the Arnold Weightlifting Championships serves as a Pan Am qualifier and allows lifters in six different age divisions the ability to compete against their peers: Youth (17 – Under), Junior (18-20), Senior (open), Master (35+) lifters, and two special divisions Functional Fitness and Adaptive Athlete. The Arnold, now in its 13th year, annually boasts a competition field consisting of lifters from around the world; as the event continues to grow in competition size and clout, so does the push for extended media coverage of the event. "We are constantly striving to make our event bigger and better," said event director Jim Lorimer. "And with Flocasts at the helm of the webcast, we are excited to see the great results next weekend." Head coach and president of the Columbus Weightlifting Club (the site where the Arnold Weightlifting Championships is held year after year) Mark Cannella is especially excited about FloElite's, "highlighting the Arnold Weightlifting Championships' USAW Pan-Am Trials on Saturday the 7th of March." Notable athletes competing at this year's event include: Colin Burns and Jared Fleming who will battle head-to-head vs Olympians and national champions Nordik Vardanian and Kendrick Farris.  Farris took 2nd at last year's Arnold to Polish Olympian, Krzysztof Zwarycz.  Notable teams/clubs competing include: Team MDUSA, Hassle Free BBC and East Valley Crossfit.   Calling the action this year will be commentators David Boffa and Jonas Westbrook (Set 1) and JP Nicoletta and Sean Waxman (Set 2).   Event coverage of the 2015 Arnold Weightlifting Championships can be found at FloElite.com.  Viewers can follow alond with LIVE coverage of the event here on March 5th-8th, 2015.  To watch the Arnold Weightlifting Championships LIVE, you must be a member of FloElite's premium service, FloPRO.  FloPRO subscriptions come in two pricing packages: $19.99/monthly subscription, $149.99/yearly subscription.   Participation lists, past results, prize information and more event-specific info can be found here. 

Mar 1, 2015