On Day 8 of Junior Worlds, we had a photo finish in the sub-junior 69kg class with all three lifters on the podium totalling 385kg and only being split on bodyweight. In the end it was a one-two punch from Team GBR with Lois Anderton winning ahead of Emily Byrne. Special mention to Haia Khaled EGY who lost out on less than a kilo of bodyweight.
In the junior 69s, team-mates Samantha Eugenie and Andorina Bouchoux, both Team France, traded blows right the way through. Bouchoux squatted a new junior world record of 195.5kg and then pushed it up a little further to 198kg. Eugenie pulled back with a massive 117.5kg bench to leave them separated by less than 6kg at sub-total. The gap closed to a scant 2kg after the opening deadlifts and maintained through the second round. 217.5kg for Bouchoux's third attempt looked well judged and put her ahead. Eugenie responded with 225kg - having to do that extra bit of work due to Bouchoux's chip picked up on squat. This was well within Eugenie's wheelhouse and she pulled it comfortably, securing her third world title.
The sub-junior 76s were next up to bat and this was another tight finish, although not for first place. Abigail Taylor-Peckover CAN took gold in every event and was a chunk ahead at the finish. It was a real scrap for places behind though with 2.5kg covering the next four places.
In the junior 76kg class, three lifters squatted 200kg, bunching the field up as we went into bench. 2021 junior world champion Agnes Rudin SWE took the lead after bench but last year's champ, Laura Mautalen, hit a 130kg for the bench gold and was only 5kg behind, neck and neck with Ellen Gronlund FIN. Mautalen slid into the lead with her opening deadlift and then could not be caught, making it back to back wins in her last year in the juniors.
Thomas Scanlon NZL ran away with the sub-junior 83kg class. Even when he missed his second deadlift, he was far enough ahead not to worry unduly and then he hit it anyway for his third. Scanlon holds the sub-junior deadlift world record at 290kg which he broke at the Commonwealth Championships last year. Julius Lankila FIN took two swings at the record but he wasn't having the best day and didn't managed to take it.
Phenomenal lifting from these young athletes with three more days to go!
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