Days 4, 5 and 6 of the World Classic Powerlifting Championships at the Eleiko HQ in Halmstad, Sweden were given over to the sub-junior and junior lifters. 99 women and 148 men from 37 countries attended the competition and competed hard for podium places, world records and national pride. Lifters as young as 14 showed great spirit and fantastic technique as they vied for position. There were failures and tears here and there as there always must be in sport. But there was also success and glory and a passion for powerlifting blossomed in many young hearts.
ROC took both sub-junior and junior team awards in the men’s competition and the sub-junior women’s but the women’s junior Italian team were superb and took first place ahead of the home nation, Sweden.
Standout moments – GB’s Jack Hopkins in the sub-junior 93kg class coming from 20kg behind and trading world record totals with Malik Bernoussi Triolet of France with every deadlift. Chiara Bernardi and Sara Naldi, both from Italy, breaking junior world records 12 times between them in an epic battle that went down to the final pull. Anna Bardova, breaking junior records as a sub-junior lifter and coming within an ace of taking Kimberly Walford’s open class squat record too. Too many world records to count and close battles up and down the weight classes kept us on the edge of our seats.
We often talk about these young people being the future of the sport meaning that they will be the open lifters of the future. But it goes much deeper. They embody our values of fair play, clean sport and camaraderie and we are so proud of them. The future is looking bright and very strong indeed.
29th September 2021
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