News

Positive Substance Tests Threaten World Championship Medals

The 2014 World Weightlifting Championships were held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in early November, with controversy shortly ensuing.    A total of eight international weightlifters have been suspended following the competition, including two gold medalists, for failing drug tests provided post-competition.    Kim Un Ju of North Korea (75 kgs) tested positive for methyl testosterone and methandriol, steroids normally used to treat testosterone deficiencies. Daniel Godelli of Albania tested positive for the steroid stanozolol, while North Korea’s Hwa Ri Jong tested positive for clenbuterol, after claiming a silver medal in the 58 kg class.    Other suspended athletes include Albanians Romela Begaj and Hysen Pulaku, and Manzurahon Mamasaliyeva, Marina Sisoeva and Makhliyo Togoeva of  Uzbekistan.    While there has been a decrease in positive testing from last year, 97 bans in 2013 to be exact with 23 in 2014, the number of suspended athletes are still too many to be proud of. The athletes were required to give a second sample, which will be tested before any consequences are allocated. 

Dec 12, 2014

Olympic Hopefuls Crush Records In Almaty

Olympic Hopefuls Crush Records In Almaty By Andrea Signor

Nov 17, 2014

Liao Hui Shatters World Record With 166 Kg Snatch

Liao Hui from China, just broke a previous World Record. Hui, competing in the 69 Kg class, Snatched a total of 166kg- breaking the current World Record at the 2014 IWF World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Video By: All Things Gym Related Articles:  2014 IWF World Championships Results  China, Vietnam, PRK Battle It Out For World Titles 2014 IWF World Championships Provisional Timetable

Nov 11, 2014

China, Vietnam, PRK Battle It Out For World Titles

Asian athletes dominate IWF World Championships By Andrea Signor   Asian athletes from China, Vietnam and People’s Republic of Korea claimed gold as day six of the 2014 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, came to a close.   PRK male athlete Om Yun Chol and Vietnam’s Thach Kim Tuan, both competing in the 56-kilogram weight class, shared the podium after each earned a combined snatch and clean and jerk total of 296 kgs. PRK’s Kim Un Guk easily took the top spot in the 62-kg weight class with a combined total of 325 kgs. Kim’s nearest competitor, Eko Yuli Irawan, competing for Indonesia, took second with a combined total of 316 kgs. Chinese athletes Long Qingquan (56-kg) and Ding Jianjun (62-kg) claimed third place in their respective weight class.   “PRK is the strongest rival to China. They have many perfect lifters,” said Ding Jianjun in a news recap provided by IWF. “There was an era when China dominated but now they are the best. The only way we can respond is by training, training and more training.”   Chinese female athlete Tan Yayun continued her winning streak after sweeping the snatch, clean and jerk, and claiming a 194-kg total for a first-place finish in the 48-kg weight class. Tan beat Turkey’s Sibel Ozkan Konak who, at 26, has yet to win gold on the world stage. Konak was only 1 kg behind Tan after the snatch and boasts a 115-kg clean and jerk in training, a weight that would have given her the win, but an injury prevented her from attempting more than 105 kgs. Konak had to settle for sharing the second-place podium with Thailand’s Panida Khamsri after both put up totals of 189-kgs.   Kazakhstan’s own Zulfiya Chinshanlo dominated the women’s 53-kg weight class with a total of 232 kgs. Hsu Shu-Ching from Taiwan and Li Yajun from China claimed second and third with totals of 218- and 214-kgs, respectively.    U.S. athlete Morghan King, from Seattle, Wash., tied for 10th in the women’s 48-kg weight class with a total of 172-kgs. Derrick Johnson, from Los Angeles, tied for 11th in the men’s 62-kg weight class, totalling 272-kgs.    “USA Weightlifting is excited to send our young athletes to compete against the best in the world,” said USA Weightlifting CEO Michael Massik in a statement released by USAW. “As this is the first qualification event for the 2016 Olympic Games, it is a great opportunity for our athletes to test themselves against the best in the world. It is also a great opportunity for USA Weightlifting and the city of Houston to prepare to host the 2015 IWF World Championships.”   The 2014 IWF World Championships continue through Nov. 16.  

Nov 10, 2014

The 2014 IWF World Championships Has Officially Commenced- Results

The second most important Weightlifting event (The Olympic Games being first) has officially begun, running from November 8-16, 2014. For the first time in the history of the IWF World Championships, Kazakhstan is hosting the competition.   Athletes compete in a total of 15 weight categories (8 for men and 7 for women). They are as follows:  . Men categories: 56 kg, 62 kg, 69 kg, 77 kg, 85 kg, 94 kg, 105 kg and +105 kg. . Women categories: 48 kg, 53 kg, 58 kg, 63 kg, 69 kg, 75 kg and +75 kg. In the Men's 56 Kg weight class, Yun Chol Om of the People's Republic of China claimed the title with a total score of 296 Kgs. He was followed by Kim Tuan Thach of Vietnam, and Qingquan Long of China.  Un Guk Kim of the People's Republic of China earned his gold World Championship medal with a total of 325 Kgs in the Men's 62 Kg weight class. Eko Yuli Irawan of Indonesia took silver with 316 Kgs, and Jianun Ding followed closely behind with a total of 312 Kgs.  Hui Liao of China took the Men's 69 Kg title with a total of 359 Kgs. Mohamed Mahmoud of Egypt and Myong Hyok Kim tied with 334 Kgs, though Mahmoud took silver and Kim took the bronze.  Daniel Godelli of Albania won the Men's 77 Kg weight class with a 171 Kg snatch, 198 Kg C&J, and a total of 369 Kgs. Guoshun Zhong of China took the silver with a total of 367 Kgs, and Song Kwang Kim of PRK took the bronze with 363 Kgs.  In the Men's 85 Kg weight class, Kianoush Rostami of IRI claimed the gold with a 178 Kg snatch, 213 Kg C&J, and a total of 391 Kgs. Ivan Markov of Bulgari narrowly took the silver with a total of 390 Kgs, and the Russian Artem Okulov won the bronze with 385 Kgs.  In the Men's 94 Kg weight class, Zhassulan Kydyrbayev took the place on the top of the podium with a 179 Kg snatch, 229 C&J, and a total weight of 408 Kgs. Fellow KAZ teammate Vladimir Sedov placed second with a total of 407 Kgs, and Aurimas Didzbalis of LTU claimed third with 399 Kgs.  The Women's 48 Kg category was headed by China's Yayun Tan with a total of 194 Kgs, followed by Sibel Azkan Konak of Turkey, and Panida Khamsri of Thailand.  Results provided by The International Weightlifting Federation and can be found here. 

Nov 9, 2014

2014 IWF World Championships Provisional Timetable

Full Schedule Provided Here Related Article: America's Best Prepare For The 2014 IWF World Championships- Press Release 

Nov 4, 2014

America's Best Prepare for 2014 World Championships

USA Weightlifting Press Realease regarding the 2014 IWF World Championships and Olympic Qualification Event America’s Best Prepares for 2014 IWF World Championships and Olympic Qualification Event COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—Team USA is gearing up for the all-important 2014 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships and Olympic Qualification event Nov. 4-16 in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Most of the 15 prospective Olympians and USA Weightlifting standouts are training and making final preparations this week at the United States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. Each American athlete qualified to attend the prestigious annual IWF World Championships through their performances during the past year at international and national events. “USA Weightlifting is excited to send our young athletes to compete against the best in the world,” USA Weightlifting CEO Michael Massik said. “As this is the first qualification event for the 2016 Olympic Games, it is a great opportunity for our athletes to test themselves against the best in the world. It is also a great opportunity for USA Weightlifting and the city of Houston to prepare to host the 2015 IWF World Championships.” The eight male competitors and two male reserves for Team USA are as follows:  Caine Wilkes, +105kg, Wilkes Weightlifting, Chesapeake, Va. (Coach: Christopher Wilkes); Andrew Davis, 105kg, Team Florida Orlando, Orlando, Fla. (Coach: Tyrone Harvey); D’Angelo Osorio, 105kg, Hasslefree Barbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Kevin Doherty/Zygmunt Smalcerz), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; Colin Burns, 94kg, Texas Barbell, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Bo Sandoval/Smalcerz), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; Travis Cooper, 77kg, Team MDUSA, Fort Mill, S.C. (Coach: Don McCauley); James Tatum, 77kg, Team MDUSA, Fort Mill, S.C. (Coach: McCauley); Caleb Williams, 69kg, Peak Performance of Georgia, Gwinnett, Ga. (Coach: John Coffee); and Derrick Johnson, 62kg, Texas Barbell, Los Angeles (Coach: Ursula Papandrea). Darren Barnes, 56kg, East Coast Gold, St. Charles, Mo. (Coach: Jose Victor Gallego); and Kendrick Farris, 94kg, LSU Shreveport WLC, Shreveport, La. (Coach: Katrina Farris) are the team reserves. Seven female athletes and two female reserves will represent Team USA: Holley Mangold, +75kg, Columbus Weightlifting, Columbus, Ohio (Coach: Mark Cannella); Marissa Klingseis, +75kg, Wesley Weightlifting, St. Joseph, Mo. (Coach: Dennis Snethen); Jenny Arthur, 75kg, Team Georgia WLC, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Smalcerz/Stan Luttrell), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; Geralee Vega Morales, 63kg, East Coast Gold, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Gallego/Smalcerz), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; Cortney Batchelor, 58kg, Gayle Hatch WLC, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Burns/Smalcerz), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; Morghan King, 48kg, unattached, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Dean Kruse/Smalcerz), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; and Kelly Rexroad Williams, 48kg, Coffee’s Gym, Gwinnett, Ga. (Coach: Smalcerz). Ellen Kercher, 53kg, LBH of NYC Department of Parks, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Coach: Smalcerz), U.S. Olympic Training Center athlete; and Kelly Charniga, 63kg, Dynamic Sport, Detroit (Coach: Bud Charniga) are the reserves. Zygmunt Smalcerz, USA Weightlifting’s U.S. Olympic Training Center resident team coach, will serve as head coach for Team USA in Kazakhstan. Christopher Wilkes will also coach the American men, while Jose Victor Gallego will coach the American women. Among the Team USA members, Mangold and Farris are Olympians, having lifted at the 2012 Games. Caine Wilkes, Cooper, Caleb Williams, Vega, Arthur, King and Batchelor all competed for Team USA at the 2013 IWF World Championships in Poland. Caine Wilkes, Davis, Osorio, Cooper, Tatum, Johnson, Arthur, Vega, Batchelor, King and Rexroad Williams all lifted at the 2014 Pan American Championships. Caine Wilkes is the current Pan American Champion in the 105+kg class. Caleb Williams is the current American record holder at 69kg, Johnson is the current snatch and lift total American record holder at 62kg and Farris is the current clean and jerk and lift total record holder at 94kg. Klingseis is a 2013 World Junior Championships medalist, and she also represented Team USA at the 2014 World Junior Championships. Among the men, Johnson, Williams, Caine Wilkes, Tatum and Burns are 2014 U.S. National Champions. For the Team USA women, Mangold, Arthur, Batchelor, King and Vega are all 2014 U.S. National champions. Press Release Via USA Weightlifting: Worlds Press Release 

Nov 4, 2014