The 2015 World Championships: Part I
Andrew “Bud” Charniga
The 2015 Senior World championships were held in Houston, Texas; the first time since 1978 when this event was staged in Gettysburg, PA.
The Houston Sports Foundation provided arguably the best facility ever to host a world championships. The competition area in particular was especially well thought out; first class all the way. The lifting, the first class venue provided were the high points of the event.
The very lowest point was the involvement of US weightlifting (USAW) in the organization in general and their staff in particular. They were in charge of the training hall area which had some 70 training platforms.For some bizarre, perverse reason, they decided to close the hall to all but teams. Those excluded of course included a number of young, national caliber American lifters whom had been solicited to come to Houston to volunteer as translators and so forth. They came at their own expense; on their time. These very same lifters, these volunteers, had a national championship coming up the following weekend in Reno. Yet these volunteers, die hard lifting enthusiasts were treated discourteously, even rudely by the paid USAW staff and told to find suitable training elsewhere; at their own expense of course.
As pathetic as that sounds, imagine allowing a Russian bloated with drugs to use the facilities and be filmed to promote his upcoming phony lifting seminars in the USA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv_EWWDV2O0
Yet our young lifters, our volunteers, could not train on the premises for an upcoming national championships. Even a three time Olympic champion who wanted to do some exercise was excluded from that area.
As the week of the competition wore on this exclusion became more and more an issue; a printed announcement appeared at the entrance of the dining hall. Imagine if you can, the stupidity of the person who penned this pathetic exercise in ignorance; this abject banality:
“Due to the small number of remaining athletes competing, half of the Training Hall platforms will no longer be able to be used for training. The number of platforms teams are allowed to use will be determined by how many athletes they have remaining to compete. We ask that teams only allow athletes still need to compete as the only athletes allowed to train.” Thank you for your understanding!”
The incompetent USAW staff were rude and disrespectful to our people; various members of the USAW BOD i.e., a board of dolts, walking around the venue sporting VIP credentials, did nothing.
The women
48 kg
JIANG Huiha (CHN) VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE) Miyaki Hiromi
(JPN)VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE) pulled 85 slow and dropped slow; very low for her 1st. Hopping back fast and sinking into a low squat Miyaki Hiromi(JPN) also made 85. VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE) tried pulling slow and sitting slow with 87 on her second without success. Miyaki Hiromi (JPN) had 87 up in a low squat but her arms were bent; no lift. Eighteen year old JIANG Huiha (CHN) mushed under 88 letting it drop behind. Repeating with this weight she hopped back popping her feet to the side and sat several seconds before recovering with a perfect lift.
JIANG Huiha (CHN) Charniga photo.
VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE) JIANG pulled slowly on 88 with no chance to get it to arm length. JIANG Huiha (CHN) who earlier this year snatched 95 seemed to have 91 up but relaxed in the squat letting the weight drop backwards.
VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE). Charniga photo
Cleaning 105 extremely smooth, Miyaki Hiromi (JPN) split wide and fast. VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE) struggled to stand; jerking a little shaky with 106. Pulling and sitting slow JIANG Huiha (CHN) jerked well but she looked as if she had been prepared with a lot of strength movements. Miyaki Hiromi (JPN) struggled a little with 108 but split fast and very wide for a good jerk. JIANG Huiha (CHN) sat slow after a slow high pull with 108 before jerking awkwardly. Miyaki Hiromi (JPN) made her easiest clean with 109 but jerked forward. VUONG Thi Huyen (VIE) managed to jerk her 3rd with 109 with a slight press out.
PRK’s RI Song Gum, out of contention from a low snatch, hopped forward a relatively huge amount for such a small athlete with 110; struggled to stand before patiently waiting what seemed like a very long time to jerk the weight. JIANG Huiha (CHN) was fortunate to make another awkward jerk with 110 after a slow three stage clean. The two PRK lifters both tried unsuccessfully to lift 111.
RI Song Gum (PRK) Charniga photo.
53 kg
HSU Shu – Ching (TPE), CHEN Xiaoting (CHN), DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI)DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) pulled 94 long and dropped very low for her 1st. HSU Shu – Ching (TPE) pulled and sat with 96 without fixing it on straight arms. DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) made another all – out good attempt at 96 sittiing low and waiting for balance before standing. HSU Shu – Ching (TPE) hopped back slightly for an easy repeat at 96. CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) pulled 97 slow but hit a very low bottom in a flash. DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) tried pulling 100 high before squatting under without maximum effort; without success. CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) dropped extremely low under 101; popping her feet to the side and back too fast for the human eye to follow. She struggled for balance as she twisted to the side in the deep squat before standing.
CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) Charniga photo
HSU Shu – Ching (TPE) used a lot of power pulling 101; just not enough attention at fixing the weight in the squat. CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) was under a world record 104 in a flash but the weight drifted backwards.
DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) cleaned 115 slow but jerked with a wide, fast split. Taking a modest jump to 117 DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) struggled to stand but jerked with an explosive wide split. CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) struggled to shoulder 120; unable to stand with it. HSU Shu – Ching (TPE) cleaned 120 easily but tried to sneak under the jerk without success. CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) struggled to stand with her repeat at 120 jerking to arm’s length but a little forward. HSU Shu – Ching (TPE) cleaned her repeat with 120 ridiculously ease; this time focusing on a powerful ‘scissors and lock’ got the bar overhead.
DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) Charniga photo.
Facing elimination CHEN Xiaoting (CHN) cleaned 120 well followed by a very wide powerful split to move her into 2nd place. DIAZ Hidilyn (PHI) over pulled 121, sitting back before failing to rise with it. With the gold medal in total and jerk on the line HSU Shu – Ching (TPE) made the easiest clean of the night with 125; struggling for balance in the jerk; she prevailed to win the gold.
58 kg
Kostova Boyanka (AZE), DENG Mengrong (CHN), KUO Hsing – Chun (TPE)The 2013 world champion in this class KUO Hsing – Chun (TPE) made a slight hop forward with her first at 104. DENG Mengrong (CHN) hopped back sitting very low; feet shifted wide with 105. KUO Hsing – Chun (TPE) accelerated 107 well; lifting it high enough; but not fixing. She had 107 locked out on her third; shaking she dropped it forward. DENG Mengrong (CHN) hopped back with a wide shifting of feet squatting very low for an ultra – smooth lift at 108.
DENG Mengrong (CHN) Charniga photo
The 2015 European champion Kostova Boyanka (AZE) hopped forward but did not sink low with her 109; dropping the barbell in front. She shifted her feet into a wider lower squat on her repeat with this weight for a good lift. Srisurat Sukanya (THA) pulled 109 very high but the barbell oscillated out of control as she tried to sink into a low squat. DENG Mengrong (CHN) pulled fine but sat without enough effort to fix the weight. Kostova Boyanka (AZE) did a slow strength pull, a slow squat with a wide asymmetric foot placement for a good 112 kg world record.
KUO Hsing – Chun (TPE) Charniga photo
KUO Hsing – Chun (TPE) seemed to have the jerk with 133 but started shaking and lost control. DENG Mengrong (CHN) cleaned 133 well splitting wide and fast for a good jerk. KUO Hsing – Chun (TPE) repeated her first with 133 but this time with even more shaking. She managed to control her third jerk with the 133 despite the shaking. Kostova Boyanka (AZE) cleaned 137 slow finishing with a muscle jerk. DENG Mengrong (CHN) performed a smooth elastic clean with 137 only to have her left elbow collapse in the jerk. She repeated with this weight this time snapping her feet into a wide split to fix the weight on straight arms.
Kostova Boyanka (AZE) cleaned faster that her first; her slow muscle jerk drifted forward. Her repeat was a hop forward awkward muscle jerk for gold in jerk and world record in total.
63 kg
DENG Wei (CHN), Turieva Tima (RUS), Choe Hyo (PRK)Choe Hyo (PRK) dropped low and fast under her 1st with 104. She hauled up 107 on her next lift, letting it drift backwards. She repeated this slow lifting on her final with 107 but this time the weight fell forward. The 2013 world champion Turieva Tima (RUS) made a smooth low squat lift with 108. DENG Wei (CHN) briefly locked out 110 before unlocking her left elbow and dropping the weight.
Turieva Tima (RUS) Charniga photo
Sitting very low with a very wide foot placement DENG Wei (CHN) made a smooth lift with 110 on her 2nd. Turieva Tima (RUS) did a high pull and slow squat with an unsuccessful 112. She made a much better effort to sit low and fix the weight on her third. DENG Wei (CHN) made a very smooth wide shifting of feet squat under the bar to move into first place with 113.
DENG Wei (CHN) Charniga photo
Choe Hyo (PRK) dragged 136 to her chest with a slow hop back before making a poor effort to jerk in a shallow split. Turieva Tima (RUS) cleaned 136 smoothly jerking with a fast split. Choe Hyo (PRK) made better clean with 136 and a much better fast jerk. On her third attempt she barely dragged 139 to her chest like it had been glued to the floor; paused some long seconds to make a fast powerful jerk. A feat most male lifters are not capable of.
DENG Wei (CHN) pulled 140 to her chest paused briefly in the low squat before standing followed by a powerful jerk. Moving to 141 to go ahead in the jerk and total Turieva Tima (RUS) struggled at the top of the recovery before collapsing on her rear bent leg in the jerk. She struggled a little more in the same spot of the recovery with 141 with the same result in the jerk.
Already the champion DENG Wei (CHN) went to the world record 146. Stopping briefly in the bottom of the squat she struggled through the middle of the recovery. After pausing to re – set for the jerk she made a seemingly effortless, powerful jerk for a new world record.
DENG Wei (CHN) Charniga photo
69 kg
Xiang Yanmei (CHN), Zapparukul Zhazira (KAZ), Romanova Anastasia (RUS)Zapparukul Zhazira (KAZ) made a slight hop back low squat lift with 112. Romanova Anastasia (RUS) the tallest competitor in this class performed a slow pull, a slow squat and a slow rise with 112. Zapparukul Zhazira (KAZ) hopped back dropping fast under 116. Romanova Anastasia (RUS) hauled up 116 slowly, almost power snatching it. Xiang Yanmei (CHN), last year’s world and Asian Games champion lowered her opener in the face of a less competitive field. She made an easy hop back with 118. Romanova Anastasia (RUS) was unable to drop effectively under 118 to fix a high pulled 118; frequent consequence of doing power snatches.
Xiang Yanmei (CHN) Charniga photos
Xiang Yanmei (CHN) hopped back; paused a few seconds before standing with 120. This is normally a warm up weight for someone who snatched 129 earlier this year at the Chinese nationals. Zapparukul Zhazira (KAZ) hopped back and squatted low under 120 only to lose it forward. Already in the lead with a big clean and jerk to her credit, Xiang Yanmei (CHN) was just going through the motions with a 123 no lift.
Romanova Anastasia (RUS) made a slow clean and a slow jerk with 135. She managed 137 on her second after struggling at the top of the recovery. Very much like her last snatch attempt Romanova Anastasia (RUS) could not pull 139 high and sit slow to clean. Zapparukul Zhazira (KAZ) hopped back to clean 140 well but jerked slightly forward. She had to sit briefly in the squat before struggling to recover with the same weight, this time splitting under fast for a good lift. Xiang Yanmei (CHN) opened with a warm up weight 143 for an easy lift and the gold.
After a big struggle to shoulder 147 Zapparukul Zhazira (KAZ) was unable to stand with it. Still going through the motions Xiang Yanmei (CHN) jerked 148 forward on her second. The third mirrored the 2nd with the bent rear knee giving out in the split position of the jerk.
75 kg
KANG Yue (CHN), RIM Jong (PRK), Zubova Olga (RUS)RIM Jong (PRK) the 2012, 69 kg Olympic champion popped her feet to the side to drop low under 120. Zubova Olga (RUS) who was briefly the 2013 world champion before being suspended for a doping positive; pulled 120 slow sitting uncharacteristically slow for a Russian. She had to pause for several seconds to get her balance before recovering. The 2012 Olympic champion Podobedova Svetlana (KAZ) not in top form, hopped forward with her 1st at 121. The 2013 and 2014 world champion Yevshyukina Nadezda (RUS) wasn’t close with 121 twice.
Zubova Olga (RUS) pulled long and slow with 124 but dropped without sufficient effort for a miss. She performed another slow pull and shrug with the same weight without success. RIM Jong (PRK) hopped fast and low with a good 125. Podobedova Svetlana (KAZ) tried hopping forward under 126 to no avail. The same method was applied to the same weight again without success.
KANG Yue (CHN) Charniga photo
KANG Yue (CHN) dropped her opener to 127 in the midst of the dwindling competition for a fast no foot movement squat under. RIM Jong (PRK) injured her thigh stepping forward in the low squat trying to save 128. KANG Yue (CHN) had 130 up but not quite fixed. She made it on her third but received three reds for a very slight press out.
RIM Jong (PRK) opened with 150 after having received cold spray over her thigh injury. She sat for a few seconds in the low squat before recovering then jerked it well except in recovering from the split she obviously experienced a lot of discomfort from the injured leg (left leg). She had to helped off by the doctor on duty. Zubova Olga (RUS) made a slow pull, a slow squat, then a mechanical slow jerk with 150.
RIM Jong (PRK) Charniga photo
KANG Yue (CHN) cleaned 155 well but experienced difficulty with the oscillating bar in jerk. The jury overturned the initial three red verdict for a good lift. RIM Jong (PRK) limped up to 155 for her 2nd. She cleaned it without much difficulty before making another agonizing recovery from the split. Unable to walk this time, two doctors helped her off the platform. Zubova Olga (RUS) laboriously cleaned 156 for 1st in jerk, with nothing left to jerk it. Cleaning it easier she had to pause in the split for balance to receive three whites despite a press out. RIM Jong (PRK) miraculously cleaned 157 for her third; but collapsed in agony trying to recover from the split.
Needing only 157 for gold in the jerk KANG Yue (CHN) went to 158. She cleaned well but jerked way forward. She made a better clean and a better jerk attempt but it was still too far forward.
+75 kg
Kashirina Tatiana (RUS), MENG Suping (CHN), KIM Hyang
(PRK)KIM Hyang (PRK) briefly had 125 up and locked only to have it drop in front. She managed to settle into a low squat on her second for a good lift. Moving to 130 she had to pause several seconds while shaking in the low squat before recovering. MENG Suping (CHN) hopped back shifting her feet so far out to the side her feet were under her hands; made a fast easy lift with 135. She made another very smooth fast hop back lift with 140.
KIM Hyang (PRK) Charniga photo
Kashirina Tatiana (RUS) who mechanically snatched a world record 155 last year opened with a modest 143. She hopped back dropping fast but not particularly low for easy opener.
A good day in the snatch for MENG Suping (CHN) is around 137 – 138. Her 3rd with 145 was the most difficult and required a couple of steps in the recovery to fix it but this weight put her in a much better position to challenge Kashirina. Kashirina Tatiana (RUS) went to 148 popping her feet wide under it but once again not particularly low in the squat. Moving to 152, 3 kg under her world record. She looked slower, so slow she was unable to lock the weight without press out.
Kashirina Tatiana (RUS) Charniga photo
KIM Hyang (PRK) stood with a struggle at 162; jerked it a little forward while stepping under. Her next wit 166 was an easier clean but a shaky jerk. Taking a modest increase to 168 she struggled to recover in the jerk but held on for a good lift. MENG Suping (CHN) who had jerked 193 earlier this year at the Chinese nationals opened with 180. She pulled the weight to her shoulders, hopping back and moving her feet under her hands; bounced in the low squat a few times before recovering to make a fast, easy jerk. Kashirina Tatiana (RUS) opened with 185. She failed to fix the weight to her shoulders in the squat, seemingly surprised the usual effort to lift this weight would not suffice. she made this weight on her 2nd to move into the lead in total and jerk.
MENG Suping (CHN) Charniga photo
Down by two kilos in the snatch MENG Suping (CHN), needing only 188 to pressure Kashirina, instead chose a 10 kg jump to 190. Dragging it up like it was glued to the floor she failed to fix the weight on her chest. She made a more concerted effort to fix the weight on her 3rd, bouncing a few times but jerking hopelessly forward. Kashirina Tatiana (RUS) just dead-lifted her third with 191.
