World record puts China’s Liu Huanhua far ahead in Paris rankings, Group B weightlifters jump 18 places to qualify – International Weightlifting Federation
At the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, Chinese athlete Liu Huanhua broke two world records and gained a huge lead in the Olympic rankings.
Another highlight was Davranbek Hasanbayev from Turkmenistan who moved up 18 places in Group B, which produced four medalists. There was also good news for Team USA, with Wes Kitts doing well and qualifying for the Continental Championships.
Before today, no one had broken the 102kg world standard set in 2018 when the new weight class was launched. Liu Xiang lifted 7 kilograms for the last time, reaching 232 kilograms, and broke the clean and jerk and total score world records with a score of 181-232-413.
Liu Huanhua (CHN)
That puts him ahead of his closest challengers in all five men’s categories at Paris 2024. Garik Karapetyan.
Karapetyan was not on the simplified list – one athlete per country – when the four 102kg events began here. The three-time junior world champion defeated his senior teammate Samvel Gasparyan on his final try with scores of 185-216-401.
Garik Karapetyan (ARM)
Lesman Paredes has successfully returned to the platform after an absence of 483 days. “I’m very happy with it,” he said after finishing fourth with 186-212-398, improving his best total by 1kg. The Bahraini weightlifter completed 3 lifts and dropped 3 reps.
“I had two elbow surgeries last year in March and July, so it was a good comeback, especially because I didn’t want to take any risks before Paris.” He said.
Half of the top ten came from Group B, won by Yauheni Tsikhantsou. The individual neutral athlete from Belarus finished third with a score of 183-214-400, 2kg better than his previous best, but he was not happy.
“I want more, I know I have more,” he said after his last attempt at 225kg failed. “I would do better in Paris.”
Raisman Paredes (BRN)
Don Opeloge of Samoa won silver in the clean and jerk and qualified in 10th Rankings are the best results in all categories by male weightlifters from Oceania. He achieved scores of 170-221-391.
Kyrgyzstan’s Bekdurot Rasulbekov won the bronze medal in the 220kg clean and jerk category, but failed to qualify. He only completed one snatch lift of 165 kilograms. Other players who failed to advance include Reza Dehdar from Iran and Tudor Bratu from Moldova, who finished in the top ten on the day.
Qatar Olympic 96kg gold medalist Meso Hassouna ranked third that day and withdrew after weighing in. He was injured in training here last week and is expected to miss two to three weeks.
Davranbek Hassanbayev (TKM)
The top ten players in order are: Liu, Karapetyan, Meso from Uzbekistan, Akbar Zhulayev who lifted 109 kg here on Wednesday, Qi Hansu, Zhang Yanxue from South Korea, and Georgian Paredes, Hassanbayev, Irakli Chihedze and Operog.
Keatts was unable to lift due to a hip injury. He could have been passed by Jhonatan Rivas, who also had injury issues, but the Colombian crashed out in the clean and jerk, leaving Kitts in 14th placeth in the rankings. When Opelog moved into the top ten, the continental spot was taken by Kitts, making him the highest-ranked Pan American weightlifter.
Hassanbayev made his biggest ranking change yet at the World Cup, which ends on Thursday.After jumping off No. 26, he punched the air, screamed and kissed the barbellth Ranked 8th on 187-205-392. He won the gold medal in the snatch competition.
“It’s a great feeling, not just for me but for everyone on the team,” Hassanbayev said. He was full of praise for his coaches’ strategies, which improved his best time by 19 kilograms.
In the two months after the Asian Championships, Hassanbayev lost 27 kilograms from 365 kilograms. “Training is very hard, there is no rest, and I follow a very strict schedule every day for training, sleeping, and eating.”
The biggest factor, he said, is weight gain. “I have been training at 99 to 100 kg because it was difficult for me to reach 102 kg. The coach said I had to be heavier. I reached 104-105 kg and I have stayed at this level and trained better.
“Inshallah, now I can win a medal in Paris. If I keep training like I have been doing for the past two months, I really believe that.
Jong Chun Hui (PRK)
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea won its eighth championship this week, with Asian Games silver medalist Chung Chun-hee winning her third consecutive title in the 76kg category. Jong missed her first and last attempts with scores of 114-145-259, a very respectable total considering her weight.
Although she competed in the 76kg category, when there was no 71kg category in the Asian Games, her weight was less than 70kg. When she won the Qatar Grand Prix and the Asian Championship, she weighed just a few grams heavier than 71kg, and she won again today.
France’s top Olympic hope Marie Figg finished in the top ten with scores of 71kg and 81kg, finishing second with scores of 115-130-245. Feig appeared to begin her third snatch after time ran out, but without review by the jury.
Miyareth Mendoza won the bronze medal for Colombia with scores of 106-134-240. Shania Bedward from Canada finished fourth with a score of 102-132-234.
Brian Oliver
Photo credit: Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
