WEIGHTLIFTING – BAHRAIN’S charismatic lifter Jhon Lopez made his mark last night in the third Asian Youth Games, capturing a sensational golden double in his weightlifting competition at Exhibition World Bahrain (EWB).
Lopez was the star of the evening as he took on the continent’s best in the boys’ 94kg weight class. He wore a bright smile on his face throughout the event and displayed a joy that was contagious as he won the gold medals in both snatch and clean and jerk, while setting a new Asian youth record of 160kg en route to clinching his snatch title.
Lopez followed that up by claiming the clean and jerk crown in his very last lift of the night – making for a dramatic and memorable finish.
“I am extremely proud and happy to have represented Bahrain, especially in such an important event for the youth,” Lopez told the GDN last night following his triumph. “Winning two gold medals is a great honour for me and a moment of joy for our country.
“This achievement is not only for me but for all the young athletes of Bahrain who aspire to raise our flag high in international competitions.”
Supreme Council for Youth and Sports first deputy chairman, General Sports Authority chairman, and Bahrain Olympic Committee president Shaikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa was on hand to watch Lopez in action amongst the high-quality field. Shaikh Khalid later presented the medallists their awards.
Also present were Bahrain Weightlifting Federation (BWF) president Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq and BWF official Tariq Al Bastaki, among others.
Lopez’s double gold made it three medals for Bahrain in weightlifting at this year’s Asian Youth Games. They added to the silver medal clinched by countryman Adrian Granja for snatch in the boys’ 79kg division on Wednesday.
“Winning gold at the Asian Youth Games is a special milestone in my career and a big step forward towards achieving even greater success for Bahrain in the future,” Lopez highlighted.
“My ultimate goal is to compete at the Olympic Games, but I will remain focused and determined to perform strongly at the world championships and Asian Games along the way.
“I would like to sincerely thank His Highness Shaikh Khalid and His Excellency Eshaq Ebrahim Eshaq for their continuous support and encouragement towards our sport and athletes. Their belief in us inspires me to keep striving for excellence.”
Lopez bagged his first gold medal in snatch yesterday with a best lift of 160kg, which came on his third and final attempt. He had successful lifts of 150kg and 156kg in his opening two, warming him up to set the new Asian youth mark.
“I am very proud and happy to have set the Asian youth record in snatch, especially here in my beloved country,” Lopez said. “This achievement means a lot to me – it boosts my confidence and motivates me to continue training harder and competing at a higher level.”
Uzbekistan’s Abbosbek Akhrolov was a distant silver-medallist in snatch with a top lift that was 13kg lighter, while Yslam Akmyradov from Turkmenistan took bronze at 146kg.
Lopez then came away with his clean and jerk gold with a top lift of 186kg, also on his third and last attempt. He opened this section with an unsuccessful 180kg effort but then completed a 181kg lift on his second.
With Akmyradov posting a 185kg lift on his last attempt, Lopez needed to go one better to claim his crown – and he did just that. He beat Akmyradov to first place by a single kg with his clincher, while Parv Choudhary from India won clean and jerk bronze with a 181kg effort. Choudhary also attempted 186kg in his third try, but could not complete the lift.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
&uuid=(email))