I didn’t watch most of the Men’s weightlifting. While the lighter weight classes are impressive, I’m just not that interested in watching the smaller guys. I don’t understand why there’s even a 56k class, but the fact that this lightest weight class lifts about the same as me doesn’t help my self-esteem. Besides, the Chinese took gold all those classes. In fact, the damn Chinese had 7 of the top 3 spots in the 56, 62, 69, and 77 weight classes (7 of 12 spots combined). The only close gold battle seems to be in the 62k class, where gold and silver finished with 321 and 320 respectively. The next closest was the 77k class which was separated by 3 kilos, and then the other classes at least had a 5kg discrepancy between gold and silver.
I didn’t watch the 85k class either, and I make not apology. The best total in the 77k class would have placed 4th in the 85 class. The best snatch in the 85s (173) was only 3k more than the best in the 77s (170). Same thing with the clean and jerk, but a 4k difference (209 to 205), and that puts the best total was within 7k. Here’s the 85k clean and jerk session (English TV version).
This post will be full of pics and vids, so… .
94k class
I’m glad I took the time to watch the 94s, because they sure as shit didn’t disappoint. Kazahkstan’s Ilya Ilyin was the favorite going into this session since he won the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but I still didn’t know that much about him. He didn’t make a big splash on the snatch, only taking 181 on his second attempt (he missed 184). Meanwhile three other lifters lifted more than him, including Artem Ivanov, Ilyin’s rival, who took 186 on his third attempt. Ilyin was down by 5kg in the total to Ivanov. At this point, we have a video of the entire clean and jerk session, so don’t read the next paragraph if you don’t want it spoiled.
(Ilyin doesn’t open until 26:00 into the video)
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Ilyin is about 23 years old and exuded confidence throughout the entire session. He seemed to even throw his hands up at Ivanov at one point as he walked behind the curtain after hitting one of his lifts as if to say, “C’mon, bring your A game, brah!” Usually I don’t like cocky or dickhead lifters, but Ilyin instead seemed confident and wanted the challenge. He was a bit amusing at the medal ceremony where he had the Kazakhstan flag draped over his shoulders and he flapped it around. However, once the Kazakhstan anthem started (which sounded like a pirate theme), he broke down and shed some tears. Good performance, and it’ll be fun to watch him next year in London.
105s
This is what I have been waiting for all year. My favorite lifter Dmitry Klokov was finally step back onto the platform. I was legitimately excited. It was like cheering for the Browns, except I knew that there would actually be a good performance.
You’ll hear Randall J. Strossen commentating in the beginning of the snatch session here. I ranted to the chat room how I didn’t like his commentary. The majority of it is observational in nature, which is disappointing. The English commentator (who is very good) has the “play-by-play” job to describe what’s going on. The “analyst” is supposed to provide analysis on the sport to give an insider’s view on the situation or strategy. Just listen to Strossen’s comment after the first lift of the previous video: he rambles about the guy’s long arms. I’d rather hear some points about mechanics or coaching strategies in the warm-up room. Every now and then he’d cover a vanilla mechanics subject, be he seemed to lack the confidence to say anything definitively, especially with red lighted lifts. This really made me want to commentate a weightlifting meet, especially a close competition like this one.
In the beginning of the broadcast (not shown in video) they showed the lifters in the warm-up room. Poland’s Bartlomiej Bonk was drinking a mug of coffee and held it up while smiling; this made him instantly likeable and I hope he does well in the future. Unfortunately the coffee only resulted in finishing with his 185kg opener (he missed 189 and 190). Some of you may ask, “If he missed 189, why go to 190?” Well, if you miss a lift and choose to do the same weight again, you will have to follow yourself with a two minute rest. If another lifter hasn’t attempted that weight yet, they will go before you. It would look like this:
– You miss 189
– Other lifter’s first attempt at 189
– You attempt 189 again
This doesn’t provide a lot of time to rest for your second shot at 189. Furthermore, if there are a few guys trying 189 and also 190, you can get a bit more rest by moving the weight up. Also, you may have planned to go to 192 or 193 on the third attempt anyway, so moving up may stick with the plan, albeit a lower plan. It also may be a shot to medal in the snatch or stay close in total (the latter is more likely at bigger competitions). This, by the way, is the kind of shit Strossen SHOULD have been talking about. Instead, at one point he said the snatch was “more than just a deadlift and a high pull”. No shit. Instead of describing what a snatch is to the audience, who by now at least has a moderate understanding of the sport, why not explain something like I just did? It could fill the “dead air” of silence that would sometimes occur as a result of Strossen not saying anything. Also, he could have explained how much time is allowed in between missed attempts or how many changes a lifter is allowed to make (it’s two). Okay, /rant.
Finally Klokov opened with an ezpz 187k, and then MACHAVARIANI (who has the HAIRIEST fucking deltoids EVER) took the same weight on his third attempt. Fellow Russian Akkaev then opened with a simple 190, and IT. WAS. ON. The two Russians were vying to best each other in the snatch to help with their total, yet they were’t going to get reckless. Recklessness might be okay at smaller meets, like Russian nationals or the European Championships, but big meets like World Championships and the Olympics put a premium on hitting lifts to make your total go up. Not missing is important.
Klokov took a simple 192 on his second, and then Akkaev, the European Champion, took 195 on his second. Klokov pushed another 4kg and made good on a 196 third attempt. Not to be outdone, Akkaev stepped up and hit 198 on his third attempt to go ahead by 2kg overall. The only three lifters to go 3 for 3 on the snatch were the snatch medal winners with HAIRY DELTS MACHAVARIANI taking the bronze with 187. This was clearly going to be a Russian victory.
Klokov's 196 third attempt
Clean and jerks session. Don’t read the next couple paragraphs if you don’t want it spoiled.
The clean and jerk began with the normal lower tiered lifters battling it out. Bonk opened with 215 and Klokov opened with an ezpz 220. It was so easy that we were wondering what he was doing, but at World Championships you want to get on the board and force your opponent to also be successful. 221 then acted like a plague, forcing 5 lifters to miss, including Bonk (he would come back and hit it on his third attempt to finish 3/6). Hairy Delts finished on a good note going 3/3 hitting 212, 218, and 222. Delts finished with a good day, going 6/6 and a 409 total, which was surprising because his first snatch looked wobbly and I didn’t think he’d hit his third attempts. He had impressive overhead strength that was definitely augmented by the amount of hair on his shoulders.
Then things got interesting. Akkaev opened at a simple 222, but was largely regarded to be weaker in the clean and jerk than Klokov. Klokov took 225 on his third, forcing Akkaev to make good on his second attempt of 228. Then a Ukranian lifter came out of no where to miss 229 on his second, and then hit it on his third to take bronze overall (he only snatched 181, so this really did come out of no where). Meanwhile, Klokov had called for 235 on the attempts board. I don’t think there’s any doubt that Klokov could hit 235, but I believe it would have been a meet PR (his best was 230 in Beijing). In any case, he was looking great on his lifts and seems like he’s really starting to hit his peak for this Olympic cycle (he took some time off and worked back up — he only went (192/223 at last year’s World Championships). By calling for 235, it would force Akkaev to hit at least 233 on his third to tie the total. In that scenario, Klokov would have to hit 236 to get a 1kg advantage in total since Akkaev was the lighter lifter and would win if they had the same total).
However, you can change your weight twice assuming you submit your original weight change to the judges in time (you have a minute after your successful lift to submit your next attempt, otherwise they increase it automatically by 1kg). You can decrease the weight you call for to a weight that is ABOVE the weight on the platform. For example, if 233 was on the bar, you couldn’t decrease below 233. But if 229 was on the bar and you called for 235, you could decrease to 232…and that’s what Klokov did.
This was weird because we all (including Glenn Pendlay in the chat) that Klokov would force Akkaev to choose a weight and take a crack at it. This would put Klokov in the driver’s seat forcing him to make a clutch lift for the gold. But instead, they chose the strategy to hit the lift and force Akkaev to hit the same weight (since he obviously couldn’t lower the weight). This would push Akkaev’s clean and jerking ability to the limit, but it would also give him the final say to make a clutch lift for the win. Klokov hit his 232 like it wasn’t a big deal.
Klokov hits his third attempt at 232
The situation was TENSE and TIGHT this whole time. I was confused as to why Klokov wouldn’t force Akkaev to take his third attempt before him — I wanted to see Klokov in the clutch. He didn’t do his patented ‘crazy celebration’ after hitting his 232 because he knew the victory was dependent on Akkaev missing his lift. You never really want to see a lifter miss a lift, but I sure did hope he would. Akkev cleaned it, yet the clean wasn’t as hard as I would have liked. A limit clean would tire him out for the jerk, but that didn’t happen. Then, he popped the jerk overhead and held it in place. No soft elbows and three white lights, Akkaev won the gold medal.
This was disappointing because Klokov hasn’t won a gold medal since the 2005 World Championships in the year after the 2004 Olympics (in other words, it was a weak year — the most competitive years are usually the year before the Olympics). Klokov has been chasing the gold and getting silver in the last few Olympics and World Championships. I bet he would trade this silver for an Olympic gold next year any day of the week, and this meet will help him train as hard as he can to get ready for London.
105+
I didn’t watch this session. Frankly, I don’t really think it’s impressive. The only reason I’ll watch it at the Olympics is because of the emotional Steiner gold medal (which still almost makes me cry nearly 4 years later). In any case, the best 105 total would have placed 5th in the 105+ class and places 2 though 4 were only, at most, 9kg heavier. There was only one lifter who stood beyond the rest, and it was Iran’s SALIMIKORDASIABI who snatched a World Record 214kg (video). Of course, this isn’t the actual World Record, as Antonio Krastev did 216 a while back (despite looking like a sloppy fucking mess), but the weight classes were restructured and all of the records were thrown out (which is retarded, since it’s a super heavy record). SALIMIKORDASIABI’s total would have been even higher had he hit his third clean and jerk at 260kg (which is 3k shy of Rezazedeh’s current World Record, which is still lighter than Taranenko’s actual WR of 266). SALIMIKORDASIABI would finish with a 250kg clean and jerk and 464 total. He’ll win the gold next year.
Best snatch in 85 was 178 by Rybakov who was in the B session (and also happens to be the 85kg snatch WR holder). He should be good to watch in London
Also, Ilin should be real good to watch at 2012 Olympics. It was rumored that Kolecki has been coaching him, and that he did 190/235 in training prior to this WWC, and with his ezpz 2nd C&J, you could tell he was good for much more (fwiw, his 3rd att snatch seemed like a good lift to me).
Was great to see Ilin come back as he apparently had “the illness of championship” after Beijing, where he was essentially just fucking off and getting drunk off his fame back in Kazakhstan for a number of years.
It seems Klokov is focused on London. He said if he wins gold there, then he is going to retire.
I don’t really think the “XX weight class is unimpressive because the class below it would have placed well” argument is really that valid. Consider the 105s, the top 2 94’s would have been 5 & 6, maybe higher if Ilin took a 3rd att. The same could be said all the way up and down through the classes really, its just how it is.
This is true. Another truth (for me) is that I don’t respect fat lifters as much as lean and muscular lifters, so the 105 and 94 classes are naturally what I’m interested in. I don’t really care for the lighter body weight categories as they seem to be ways for short competitors to compete with each other. I’m just not interested in the lower and higher extremes.
–Justin
Great wtite-up. It is pretty awesome to watch the tactics involving attempts and whatnot. And hairy delts was pretty legit.
Some info on the American lifters would have been swell.
Americans were generally unimpressive as most of them had days ranging from “ok” to “bad”.
As a result, we have zero slots for men at the 2012 Olympics.
Yeah, barely any Americans cracked the top 15 with a few in the top 25. Robles made 11th, I think. Just not a good showing. Good lifting will over shadow the lower US performances unless I’m covering a US meet.
–Justin
Didn’t realize we earned a goose-egg. SWEET.
yeah, theres an opportunity for the Men to get ONE slot at next year’s Pan Ams, not sure what they have to do to get that though.
the US women have 2 slots for 2012
I tend to agree with the “not interested in lower and upper extremes”, although I’d add the 85’s to 94 and 105 for classes I’m interested in (could be biased as I lift in 85’s)
This year’s 85 class had a lot of misses from the top tier guys, along with Yufkin (RUS) not being there who did 2kg off the WR at Euros earlier this year, and probably would have dominated the WWC.
Poland’s BONK seems like a pretty cool guy. Generally is in 94 or 105, he’s been around for a number of years, similar to Sylwester KOLECKI, someone who is pretty good but never really finishes in the top. BONK usually seems to have a lot of misses, so it was good to see him have a half-decent meet. Would have been cool if Marcin DOLEGA didn’t hurt his shoulder, he would have most likely pushed the Russians and made for a real interesting shootout at the end.
I didn’t clarify, but I also enjoy and am interested in the 85s. I’ll probably watch the 77s as well at the Olympics, but probably not anything lower. If I do it’s just cause it’s the Olympics and not because I’m overly interested.
–Justin
Fact: Americans will never give a shit about weight lifting as long as the broadcats are in random spots on the internet, half the time in foreign languages or without commentators entirely (as was the case with the PanAm games), and there isn’t a kilo/lbs conversion. These reasons and others (i.e. football is beloved, awesome and fun to watch) are why none of our guys made it and all those Chinese did. This site def helps make it more acessible though, so that’s a good thing.
The broadcasts aren’t available here because weightlifting isn’t popular here. It’s a supply and demand thing. That’s like bitching about not having Australian Rugby Union or League on TV in the states when there isn’t a demand for them. The weightlifting broadcasts are typically on the Euro or Asian channels hence the language. It doesn’t behoove any US channel to cover it because it isn’t worth the money.
You’re complaining about the lack of broadcast as a cause of weightlifting not being popular, but it’s instead a result.
–Justin
Thanks for the explanation of the 105s and the process of changing the weight. I was wondering why Klokov chose the weights he did.
I loved it when Klokov did his sexy Shhh to the crowd after his 2nd Clean and Jerk.
I really enjoyed the WWC and I really wish that there would be some way to watch it on tv in the states, rather than bootlegging it on the internet. I like watching all of the weight classes, but I have to agree with watching 94 and upwards as being the most interesting. It’s too depressing to watch the 85’s and to see how damn fast they snatch a weight that seems astronomical for me to ever clean and jerk. I was really dissapointed with the 105’s simply because of the lack of characters in it. With dolega and amaramnau, the competition would have been a lot more interesting. The two russians battling, yes that was interesting but I definitely knew that the Klokov was sunk when he opened so low on the C and J. Akhaev just looks a lot stronger and in some ways a lot bigger. It woudl have been great to see him go for the 235, but I guess I will concede that it was some epic lifting. The 105s+ were in many ways dissapointing too because the Iranians (like years past) really ran shit. Although that big ass korean bro can clean and jerk his ass off which was cool to watch. A couple of interesting notes are what the f@ck has Ruben Aleksayan been doing since he came on the scene. He looked awful and I was really hoping he could put up some big numbers. Also, that huge russian dude was massive, but he really didn’t deliver as was suggested. The commentators were talking about chigishev, but I was wondering about Koklaev, who I believe put up better numbers in the past than that 180kg guy (although Koklaev has trouble with his jerks). All in all, I can’t decide whether I like the super huge records or simply having a more competitive overall super heavy class. And yeah, krastev is fat and sloppy as hell, but he does work on the snatch. Also, Illin was looking swag as hell in his all black singlet and romaleos and he finally got rid of his euro-trash haircut. Well done sir.
One more thing while I am in a talkative mood. I have read at least two articles leading up to this where Pat Mendes and Kendrick Farris both said that they would medal and that Pat thought he could set a world record in the snatch (where the hell was this I might add) and where Farris said that when he looked on the previous olympics and WWC’s, he could medal on an off day. I know I am just a keyboard warrior and I dream of being able to put up the weight that either of these two bros do, but that type of talk really got my hopes up and I was really dissapointed with this. Do you guys think these guys are trying to pysch themselves up, are they actually crushing iron in training, or are they just totally delusional. I can link the articles if you want, but one was from a Louisiana newspaper profiling Farris and the other was from a Poliquin article on Mendes.
It would appear that they were a little zealous about their efforts. Kendrick still snatches around 160 when around 170 is the norm. He used to get near 210 on clean and jerk, but he hasn’t shown he can hit that lately. There is a video somewhere of him hitting a pretty heavy jerk off of boxes, I think, but stringing it together hasn’t gone well, unfortunately. He reverted back to his split/squat, and his jerks haven’t looked that great.
As far as Mendes goes, there were people saying he took some time to use some medicine. I don’t mind if he did use it, but the 20kg drop in his lifts is noticeable. Even if wasn’t using, he has experienced some injuries and I hope he can come back and split his jerks instead of powering them (they haven’t looked great at Pan Ams or Worlds). The prevalence of injuries might draw attention to the frequency and intensity of programming as it might be too much to sustain without the aid of medicine.
As of now, neither lifter will get their chance at the Olympics — if anyone knows how this could change let us know.
–Justin
Hey Justin, I have a deadlift question for the Friday Q&A.
I have stupid-long femurs and a short torso. Conventional DL feels the strongest, but I have to pull around my knees which is definitely not ideal (and makes any set longer than 1 rep a mess). I’ve pulled sumo for ~1 year as (obviously) sumo reduces the impact of femur length.
I still just don’t feel right pulling sumo. Could I theoretically make up for less-than-ideal anthropometry by having very good hip mobility (ie, a large amount of external rotation to get my knees out of the way)? Or would the amount of external rotation required be too hard on the hips?
6’2”, 220 lbs., sumo 1RM around 440 lbs., conventional 1RM unknown
You don’t have to “pull around your knees” if you push the floor away correctly from an optimal starting position. I’d wager your hips are too low. Post a video and I can definitively say (of the conventional technique, obviously).
–Justin
I wasn’t complaining that weight lifting isn’t popular, I was just stating the fact that it isn’t and that’s why the USA sucks since all of our best athletes do other sports. And it’s never going to be popular until there is at the very least an American commentating, explaining what weight lifting is, how it’s judged and then announcing the weight in pounds. It wouldn’t take much. I can think of at least one person who would probably love to explain to an American audience what’s going on and why weight lifting is cool… :)
You silly person, all I meant was that your logic seemed to be “Weightlifting is not popular because they aren’t broadcasting it here” while I am saying “Weightlifting is not popular and therefore will not garner broadcasts”. I was attacking the argument, not saying you were complaining (even if I used that term).
–Justin
Does anybody know what the hell is up with Aramnau? I tried looking stuff up online about him, and all I found was that he got arrested for drunk driving twice and was banned from competition for a couple years. I had also heard he left the Belarus national team. Anybody have any info on this? He was crazy young in Beijing and it’s kind of disappointing not to see him at any of these big competitions.
I’m not disappointed. Dude was ugly.
I was told he got popped for drugs. Drunk driving may be the “cover up”, I guess. Or he actually did drive drunk and got kicked off. I never saw an official report on the doping thing. Brian?
–Justin
does anybody know if Alexander Ivanov competed in the worlds?
Yes. He went 186/215 and finished at 401 to take 4th place in the 94kg class.
http://www.iwf.net/
–Justin
Oly is definitely more popular now in the US than it was a year ago. I can say that for sure. Probably because of a mixed effort between Crossfit and guys like Pendlay. Or maybe just Tamara just blabbing on the internet about it all the time. HAHAHAHAHAHAHA.
I like to see what the guys in my weight class (69kg) can put up, just as a comparison because I know what it is like to weigh about 150lbs. Not that I compete or anything…
But, most lifters in 69kg and lower classes have some freaky anthropometry: Huge alien heads on muscled (slightly) children’s bodies. That kinda ruins the experience for me. In the same vein, I’m with you Justin about the big fat lifters.
A question for Justin: a quick wikipeida WR comparison between the classes shows that the heavier the class the lower the total kg:class kg ratio. For example – the 56kg class shows a total that is 5.44 times the lifters body weight, but the 105kg class is 4.15. Why does this happen? Is it because the lower weight classes are shorter and don’t have to move the weight as far?
Thanks.
It’s because of the diminishing returns of strength relative to musculature. There isn’t a direct correlation between strength and body weight.
–Justin
Aramnau actually did get popped a number of times with DUI’s, One was fairly recently I think where he was trying to use his fame to wager his way out of it (although he may have been found to not actually be “drunk” for that one, i forget)
recently it came out that he drinks beer essentially all day every day, during/post WO, etc.
“And specifically helps me a beer to recover. I – a professional athlete and I know all the features of my body. I only drink beer. Bottle in the morning, at lunch, and later another one.”
“It turned out that indeed, the use of the drink in small amounts can be beneficial for weight lifter: a B vitamin, muscle growth and so on”
article (use google translate)
http://www.zvyazda.minsk.by/ru/issue/article.php?id=67402
he also apparently got busted for smoking weed. I think a while back it was rumored that he, like ilin, had “the illness of champion” where he hasn’t been training, just fucking off and getting drunk
Aramnau did get a 2yr ban for one of his DUI’s, fined for something, and “hasn’t been able to train”
http://www.iwf.net/beijing2/m105_1.php
of lolzy note is the cops stopped him next to a huge wall mural of him
Interesting. When is his suspension lifted?
–Justin
“one of the other Belarus lifters stated that Andrei didn’t need to work near as hard as a lot of the other lifters because he was so talented. I think he also said he worked a lot harder before the 2008 games and since then has not worked as hard.”
@ Justin- The US can get a male lifter pending a good performance at Pan Ams next year and I think that we can also get one, if we have an exceptional guy based on a case by case appeal basis. I would be really happy if Aramnau came back. I know he is not mega jacked, but the amount of power that man produces, combined with his (albeit slightly questionable) technique, makes him a nearly perfect lifter. He uses his own natural elasticity and bar oscilation nearly perfectly.
@Smithb9, I like that phrase illness of champion- where’d u get it?
While I do think he’s ugly, I don’t hate him or anything. But I’m starting to dislike him based on the articles Brian linked above. The translation makes it difficult to get the true meaning, but it seems like he’s continuously deflecting blame. Despite his young age (which would leave him susceptible to immaturity), he sounds like a dickhead.
–Justin
By the way, Klokov and Akkaev do not train at the same club. They lift at the national team location leading up to big meets though:
http://www.iwf.net/news_disp.php?newsid=1485#news
Oh yeah and I would appreciate some more info about a 70’s big seminar in DC. I am definitely down for that
+1
Aramnau did serve a 6 month ban for doping in 2010.
Do you have a link to this? I read some links that mostly talked about him being a dickhead and defending his beer drinking.
–Justin
Really enjoyed the videos and Justin’s analysis.
And +1 on the 70s Big DC seminar.
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What’s the scoop on Chigishev? I heard rumblings about a leg injury.
How much do you think Gregor Clegane would C&J, if he competed? I’d say an easy power clean of about 325, cause he doesn’t fuckin’ care, and then a strict Press to lockout with just a tiny dip of a push press to get it started. He’d get red-lighted because it’s not, technically, a jerk, then he’d storm off the stage and cut his coach’s head off in one stroke.
I think Logen Ninefingers could do a little more.
–Justin
Snatch WR holder squatting an easy 320kg (just over 700lbs):
Haven’t read The First Law yet. You recommend for fans of ASoIaF?
Yep, I enjoyed.
–Justin
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