Another great competitive training cycle is in the books! Nine Olympic weightlifting athletes represented Fulcrum Barbell Club at the Industrious Fall Classic meet this past Saturday. Each individual competitor was successful in their own way - whether that was a result of increasing their meet total, pushing their opening numbers, facing fears and insecurities, or sticking to their commitments through the challenges and difficulties of meet week.
The first session saw three different Fulcrum lifters. Kelley had a rough morning unrelated to the meet, but was able to get herself to the meet, put on a positive attitude, and come away with five successful attempts. She finished with 40 kg in the snatch and 60 kg in the clean and jerk.
Tal, in her first meet on American soil, came away with top lifts of 60 kg in the snatch and 69 kg in the clean and jerk. Tal proved herself to be a fierce competitor, and has big things ahead of her as she intensifies her training schedule in anticipation of her next meet!
Janice blew everyone away as usual, totaling 123 with 55 kg in the snatch and 68 kg in the clean and jerk. This qualifies her for USAW Nationals as a 45 kg lifter, and shows once again what a phenomenal athlete Janice is. As she shifts her focus towards training solely for weightlifting, it will be exciting to see where she takes her talents!
Our second batch of lifters was full of variety - some are experienced competitors, others relatively new to the sport. Some had great training cycles with few interruptions or distractions, others overcame many obstacles in simply showing up to train. Everyone came away with a successful outcome on meet day, and we are grateful for the experience to work with such a wide variety of personalities and people. Strong work everyone, and congratulations on your big day!
Akansha’s total has increased in leaps and bounds since she began competing last year, as her technical proficiency catches up to her impressive strength. She finished out this meet with best lifts of 52 kg in the snatch, and 69 kg in the clean and jerk, taking her total to 121 kgs. It will be exciting to watch Akansha continue to grow into her potential as an athlete over the next several years.
Sarah was able to open up with the numbers that were third attempts in her last meet. While a seven kg increase on her total initially doesn’t seem like much, three kilos is a wide margin in the long game of weightlifting. The work she has put in to refining the technical aspects of the lifts really showed on the platform, and there is even more to come from Sarah!
Rachel finished the day with a strong showing in the snatch, topping out at 56 kgs, and a competition PR of 72 kgs in the clean and jerk. Rachel had an emotional lead up to meet day, but on the day of, her experience as a competitor showed in her calm and composed approach to each attempt, and the numerical results speak for themselves!
Jen spent much of this training cycle traveling for work, and thus spent many sessions training alone in an unfamiliar gym across the country. Those difficult and lonely hours paid off on meet day, resulting in meet PRs of 61 kg in the snatch and 75 kg in the clean and jerk. Jen’s dedication and focus to her training is admirable - we are excited to continue supporting her wherever her travels take her!
The last session of the day saw some great lifting. Lesley flourished in the organized and structured approach to competition day, putting up a PR total of 138 kgs. She finished with a competition best snatch at 63 kgs, and a strong 75 kg clean and jerk, narrowly missing the jerk on her third attempt at 80 kgs. We look forward to supporting Lesley’s continued growth and progress as both a lifter and a person!
Kristen’s quiet and focused attitude in competition was easy to work with and reassuring for her teammates. The consistent progress she has made over the last few years, both numerically and in her technical proficiency, continued to show where it counts the most - out on the competition platform. She had a perfect day, going 6 for 6 with meet PRs of 69 in the snatch and 81 in the clean and jerk. Those numbers also match her all time best lifts, and she increased her meet total by seven kgs. Strong work Kristen!
Overall, yet another very successful day for the Fulcrum Barbell crew. The support from the Fulcrum Training Hall community was wonderfully evident in the crowd of spectators, well-wishes at the gym, and positive vibes felt throughout the meet day experience. The next training cycle has already begun, and we are grateful for the opportunity to support each athlete in their individual journey towards strength and health!
#strengthmatters #fulcrumbarbell