5th WUC Weightlifting: Gold for the Host Country

MERIDA – Anacarmen Torres Wong, from Sonora, proclaimed herself as the winner of the 63kg category delivering a first gold medal for host Mexico at the 5^th World University Weightlifting Championship, being held at the Kukulcan Sports Complex in Mérida, Yucatan.

Anacarmen Torres Wong

The 20 year-old athlete, from Chinese descent as her great-grandfather was born in China, was happy with her accomplishment, because obtaining gold meant a milestone and a comeback for her after missing the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

The student at the Universidad Estatal de Sonora emphasized that it was a tough competition, the difference being just one kilo and she also pointed out the effort and strategy with her coaches, which helped overcome this challenge, because the Canadian athlete Charron Maude was a tough opponent and fought with everything she had to get to first place.

The Mexican got the bronze medal in the Snatch lifting 93kg and gold at the Clean & Jerk with 121kg, for a total of 214kg.

It was precisely at the Clean & Jerk where the Mexican athlete faced Charron Maude, from Canada, who lifted 120kg in her last attempt and the gold medal seemed certain for the Canadian, but she didn´t expect the strategy from the Mexican team.

Japanese Yoshida Akane had achieved 119kg and also put pressure on the current champion. Korean An Sisung failed in her last attempt by trying to lift 118kg, but the bar fell onto her and help from the auxiliary team was required, no mayor consequences though.

The second place of the competition went to the Japanese Yoshida Akane, with 94kg (Snatch) and 119kg (Clean & Jerk), for a total of 213kg, the same score as the Canadian Charron Maude, lifting 93kg in the Snatch, 120 in the Clean & Jerk, at the end it was Yoshida to get the silver medal due to the athlete´s weight, so the Canadian ended in third place.

Alan León Medina

Yucatecan weightlifter Alan León Medina accomplished a good performance in the 77 kg men’s category. This division was widely dominated by the Chinese Tang Jian.

The Agro-ecology student attends the Biological and Agricultural Sciences Campus of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY). He was concentrated at the championship even though he recovered recently from an injury.

“It was a complicated competition, the points for getting medals where close between each other, it wasn’t impossible, everything was decided by just a few kilos, but you can reach anything if you work on it”, said the Yucatecan athlete. “Unfortunately I could not achieve my personal records because of the injury, but I’m pleased with my participation.”

León Medina lifted 128 kg in the Snatch and 159 kg in the Clean & Jerk, totaling 287 kg. The gold medals were pocketed by Tang Jian who he lifted 150 kg (Snatch) and 190 kg (Clean & Jerk), with a total of 340 kg. The silver medals went to American Ángelo Bianco III who lifted 140 kg (Snatch) and 175 kg (Clean & Jerk), totaling a 315 kg.

Tang Jian

The bronze medals where divided. Alex Bellemarre got one at the Snatch when he lifted 139 kg and also won the total silver lifting 300 kg. At Clean & Jerk, the Japanese Kohei Shinohara won it when he lifted 163 kg.

(Source OC #WUCWeightifting2016)