Equipped Men at Junior Worlds

 

Originally posted on IPF social media on 22nd August 2023

We are only days away from the 2023 Junior World Championships and we will start with the equipped lifters.  In the men's category, we have 101 lifters nominated from 22 countries.

In the 53kg class, last year's winner, Andrei Georgescu of Romania is back and unopposed but he will need to conserve his strength to do battle in the classic, a few days later.  Adarsh Attavar in the 59s also looks well placed to defend his title in his last year in the juniors.

However, in the 66s, defending champion, Poland's Radosław Dębicki, faces a newcomer to the international platform, Venkatesh Konar of India who is nominated 30kg ahead.  It's a similar situation in the 74s too with the 2022 junior world champion, Nojus Čypas of Lithuania, facing dark horse challengers both ahead of and just behind him in nominations.

Kevin Schmid of Austria took the silver medal in the 83kg class last year behind Ludvik Moen of Norway.  However, this year, Moen is up in the 93kg class to take the battle to last year's silver medallist, Ondřej Šíp of Czechia.  Is this Schmid's opportunity to take the title on his last appearance at the juniors?  Maybe, but fast improving Norweigian, Lars Engø-Monsen, and relative newcomer, Davide Cecchetti of Italy are nominated only 2.5kg behind so he will have to fight hard for it.

Knut Einar Skaar of Norway looks like a runaway winner in the 105kg class, nominated 100 kilos ahead of anyone else.  There are never any guarantees in equipped lifting though.

In the 120kg class, Yi-chiu Wu of Chinese Taipei is out in front with an impressive 1000kg nomination.  and we have a similar situation in the 120+kg class, with Germany's Moritz Taschner miles ahead after an impressive debut at the Europeans.

With so many brilliant young lifters coming through, the future of the sport looks to be in safe hands.  Who will you be cheering for?  Let us know in the comments.