Well, sometimes you go a long time without making a personal best or personal record (PR). Sometimes you even go backwards, and it is a lonely dark place to reflect and look back at all your hard work just to see your numbers flailing. That is what is so tough about the sport of Olympic Weightlifting. It is not always a linear progression. I was very happy to finally make 2 competition PR’s in the snatch-131kg, and 135kg. The 135kg was an all time snatch PR without straps. I did 136 with straps weighing around 96kg’s in training during the spring of 2012. I also made a competition clean and jerk PR as a 94kg lifter with 165kg. Last year at Provincials I made a 300kg total as a 105kg lifter weighing 98.5kg. But this year I did it at as a 94kg lifter weighing 93.3kg. A 300kg total is a huge milestone for me, and was one of my first serious goals when I started lifting. With a 343.35 Sinclair I was only 2 points off the best male lifter, Lucas Parker
My mind was focused on this meat for weeks. Focusing on my training lifts as if I was on the platform. I knew it would be a dogfight for gold with Geoff Yee lifting as a 94kg lifter as well. When it came time for warm ups, I did not want to look or talk to anyone. I was on a mission. I was focused. I attacked the weights and owned them in my mind. I only slightly doubted myself once and that was on the last clean and jerk attempt. That single moment of doubt snuck in and killed my lift. Next time I will not let that happen. Anyways, at this point I had a 10kg lead for gold but Geoffrey Yee had 1 attempt left. After a missed attempt of 165, followed by an iffy 165, he made a gutsy call and went for gold with a 175kg clean and jerk….And of course he had to make it.
Here are Geoff’s lifts, he was not having a great day so you can only imagine the amount of mental toughness it took to make that 10kg jump and make the 175kg clean and jerk to win gold:
I was very mad that I lost on bodyweight as Geoff tied my total but I could not help but admire his courage. Competition brings the best out in people.
Official Results.
