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Future in Focus: IWF Hosts Focus Day in Youth Olympic Village

By Kevin Farley The International Weightlifting Saturday transformed the Youth Olympic Village into a celebration of sport and education as dozens of athletes took part in the IWF’s Focus Day at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Focused on the importance of anti-doping education and competing cleanly, 40 participants from more than 10 nations underwent several physical and mental exercises in an obstacle course that connected the athletes both with each other and the sport. “This was a great opportunity for the athletes to get to know each other and learn about the important anti-doping efforts of the IWF,” Athlete Role Model Morghan King (USA) said. In a display of unity that defines the Weightlifting family, athletes first split into group, participants from different countries forming individual teams. Then, wearing special shirts provided by Eleiko, the seven teams took selfies with an #iLiftClean photo frame. It was a friendly competition consisting of vertical jumps, problem-solving puzzles and team-building exercises all centered around the IWF’s #iLiftClean anti-doping education program. Teams were scored based on their performances in the obstacle course, and a winner was selected after the competition and given a special prize. The event culminated with an anti-doping education trivia game. The athletes learned about prohibited substances, therapeutic use exemptions (TUEs) and the doping control process. Armed with new education from the IWF’s #iLiftClean anti-doping program, the athletes then turned their attention to Athlete Role Models Morghan King and 3-time Olympic champion Pyrros Dimas (GRE) for a question and answer session. As the future of our sport, the youth athletes looked to draw upon the successes of the Athlete Role Models for inspiration about their own Weightlifting careers. “It was so great to speak with all of the athletes,” King said. “I am so honored to be here to represent the sport I love, and encourage these kids to go for their dreams and do the very best they

FICCO Cristiano Giuseppe (ITA) is Youth Olympic Champion

With one good lift in the Snatch at 145kg, FICCO Cristiano Giuseppe (ITA) took the lead in the Men’s 85kg bodyweight category. He tried 150kg but missed it twice. European Youth Champion in 2018 in the 85kg bodyweight category, his best internationally registered Total is 335kg from the Mediterranean Games where he also finished first. FICCO came out at 170kg for his first attempt in the Clean and Jerk being a good lift. BABAYEV Tarmenkhan (AZE), the European Youth Champion in 2018 but in the 94kg bodyweight category was following him closely. He made a considerable jump between his first and second Clean and Jerk – going from 160kg to 174kg. He came in second with 316kg. Following two impressive lifts in the Clean and Jerk, FICCO Cristiano Giuseppe (ITA) went for 180kg and a third good lift. With his Total of 325kg, he became Youth Olympic Champion. Silver Medallist at the 2018 Asian Youth Championships, ALOTHMAN Ali Yousef (KSA) won the Bronze Medal after a challenging battle with ASKARIDOUN Amirreza

Uzbek Gold for FAYZULLAEVA Kumushkhon

It was an easy win for the Asian Junior and Youth Champion and Gold Medallist FAYZULLAEVA Kumushkhon (UZB).  Also Gold Medallist at the 2018 IWF Junior World Championships, the Uzbek lifter won with 16kg more than CHONTAVIN Thipwara (THA) Silver Medallist at the Asian Youth Championships. This year’s European Youth Champion SHATOVA Galya (BUL) came in third with a Total of 201kg, only 1kg behind

Decisive Snatch

Two athletes stood out in the Men’s 77kg bodyweight category. The 2018 European Youth Champion MARGARYAN Karen (ARM) and the 2018 Asian Youth Champion TOSHTEMIROV Mukhammadkodir (UZB). The two secured considerable advantage in the Snatch. The Armenian lifter ended with 141kg while the Uzbek registered 140kg. Third place MOSTAFA Abdalla Galal Mohamed (EGY) came in with 125kg. The Clean and Jerk competition was way more balanced however it was impossible for anyone competing to challenge the two leading youth athletes. MOSTAFA Abdalla Galal Mohamed (EGY) lifted the most with 170kg, but his Total of 295kg kept him third. With only good lifts, both MARGARYAN and TOSHTEMIROV made it to 168kg. It was the 1kg advantage from the Snatch that led the Armenian lifter to the Gold leaving TOSHTEMIROV with the

Athlete Role Model: Morghan King

By Kevin Farley For the first time since her debut at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016, Morghan King (USA) returned to South America. This time not as an athlete to compete, but to serve the sport as an Athlete Role Model at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The last time Morghan was in South America, she faced the biggest competition of her life. This time, however, she is feeling more relaxed, without an Olympic competition hanging over her head. “It is great to be in Argentina and our wonderful hosts in Buenos Aires,” King said. “I am happy to be here without the pressure of an Olympic competition. I am enjoying spending time with the athletes and children of Buenos Aires.” The IWF and International Olympic Committee selected Morghan to support, advise and inspire the youth athletes taking part in these Youth Olympic Games. She is also serving as an ambassador to the sport, leading demonstrations of Olympic Weightlifting for local children. “Getting to show this wonderful sport, and getting people involved in a sport for everyone is a major reason why I came to Buenos Aires,” King said. At each one of her daily sessions, more than 50 children learn the fundamentals of Olympic Weightlifting, from how to hold the bar, to how to snatch and clean & jerk. Participants also learn how Olympic Weightlifting can help them lead stronger, healthier lives. “Getting the opportunity to working with children and show them that weightlifting is not only a competitive sport, but it can benefit you in many ways, including your mental health is an honor,” King said. “For me, weightlifting is all about body awareness and body positivity, and it is important for me to show the children that this sport can help them in all aspects of their lives.” For the first time in Olympic history, these Youth Olympic Games have achieved gender equality—equal number of male and female participants. For Morghan’s athlete demonstrations, this equality has been evident, with roughly half the participants being young girls. “It’s exciting for me to know that I have a reach and that I am able to inspire young girls,” King said. “A lot of the time we tend to put women in feminine sports, I think with weightlifting, we’re starting to get a lot of women that’s awesome for me to be involved in.” Inspiring athletes of today and tomorrow is central to the mission of the Athlete Role Model program. For Morghan, this means demonstrating Olympic weightlifting and furthering women’s role in the sport. “They saw that even a small woman can lift big weights, not just big girls or men,” King said. “It was great to show them that this sport welcomes all people of any shapes or

First African medals – Gold for BELKHIR and Silver for SAID

African Youth and Junior Champion BELKHIR Ghofrane (TUN) also ranking third at the IWF Junior World Championships put on a show at the Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires. Her main rival in the Women’s 58kg was SAID Neama Said Fahmi (EGY), first at the African Youth Games. It is the first time the two competed against each other and the result was a competition full of enjoyment and friendly challenge. BELKHIR lifted 1kg more than SAID in the Snatch – 88kg for the first and 87kg for the second. Same happened in the Snatch where the Tunisian lifter made it to 108kg and the Egyptian to 107kg. BELKHIR Ghofrane (TUN) won the Gold Medal and SAID Neama Said Fahmi (EGY) won the Silver Medal. With a Total of 186kg, BROWN Peyton (USA) made it third with a 13kg advantage over fourth