The final session of the equipped competition was the heavyweight classes – 105kg and above.
In a shocking start to the competition, only one lifter out of a field of seven made their opening attempt in the 105kg class – Zdenek Tuhacek of Czechia with 217.5kg. Yuki Sato of Japan got 275kg on his second and Evgenii Roenko was successful with 325kg, also on his second. Amazingly, these lifters formed the podium with not a single good lift in the third round. This demonstrates the technical difficulty of lifting in equipment – it’s not as easy as throwing on a shirt and lifting more weight. Seasoned veterans and newcomers alike struggled in this session giving credence to the adage that you aren’t a proper equipped lifter until you have bombed at least once.
We saw more success in the 120kg class with Ukraine’s Viktor Leskovets coming from 5th place at the end of the second round to muscle through a massive 375.5kg press for a new world record.
The 120s was a tough class with close competition up and down the field. At the end of the second round, only 7.5kg covered the top five. The coaches worked hard in the third with changes coming thick and fast. First to challenge the world record was Stasevich of Belarus with 372.5kg but it wasn’t quite there. Next up was Kazakhstan’s Arslan Suyunshaliyev to attempt 375kg but he couldn’t lock it out. World record attempt number three was Chimedtseren Bataa of Mongolia for the same weight. The head referee asked him to re-rack as he didn’t have his heels down and he used up too much energy to make the press. Viktor Leskovets came out next for 375.5kg and took the lead along with the world record. However, Aleksandr Sykmenev of Russia wanted his record back and asked for 376kg. He pressed it out but it was turned down for downward movement, leaving Leskovets with the world record and the gold medal.
In the 120+kg class, Jaroslav Soukal of Czechia was supreme: Aidar Koshkarov launched a late challenge on his third but to no avail, bringing an eventful and exciting session to a close.
27th October 2021
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