Victorian Masters Weightlifting Championships 2019
The Victorian Masters Weightlifitng Championships was held on the 16th of February 2019. This was the first competition of the season for many of our competitive lifters and more so our masters athletes. It was the largest local competition for Masters-level weightlifting in the State of Victoria, held at the Eieiko Weightlifting Stadium at Hawthorn.
As usual, our representation in such events was one of the highest, having 12 competitors in different age groups and weight classes.
Here is a recap of how the team went!
Leading the charge for TG Strength, we had Benjamin Silva (50-54; M67kg). Being a seasoned competitor, this was Ben’s first time competing for TG Strength. He went 6/6 to finish with a 75kg snatch and a 90kg clean and jerk for a 165kg total, earning the the Victorian Masters Champion title for his age group and weight class.
First timer on the platform, Jim Athanasopoulos also had a great day out competing for the first time as a weightlifter, also finishing with a 6/6 record in his first ever competition. Nailing a 60kg snatch and a 83kg clean and jerk, we saw him also take the title of Victorian Masters Champion in the 50-54years age group, M81kg class.
Kicking the ladies’ competition off in the 40-44y, F49kg category, we had remote athlete Ella Mason who was under our roster for the first time. But with ease, she came through with a 99kg total (42kg snatch and 57kg clean and jerk). A miss on the last attempt of snatches at 44kg, this made her hungry to achieve that 100kg total but still got her the Victorian Masters Champion title in her age group and weight class.
Vanessa Robinson was also another first-timer on the competitive platform for us. Still avid in the competition in Crossfit, she just finished a team competition the weekend before and still managed to handle a 6/6 performance with a 45kg snatch and a 61kg clean and jerk. She also managed to drop down to the 45-49Y, 55kg weight class and eventually stood on the podium at the top with a 106kg total.
First of the seasoned competitors was Louise Webb. Having to cut 2kg the night before, that definitely took a toll physically but also emotionally. But she also managed to handle herself and finish off with a strong 54kg snatch (equal competition PB). Unfortunately, she did not manage to achieve an successful attempt in the clean and jerk but it gave us a few things to work on in the coming months to nail a solid overhead position in the jerk.
Having one of her best competitions to date, Brooke Morrison managed to PB her clean and jerk by 3kg with a 67kg successful last attempt as well as her total (112kg for a 5kg total). Alot of work in training has gone into getting her mentally ready and it paid off on the platform, earning her the Victorian Master Champion title in the 45-49year age group, F76kg weight class.. The performance at this competition has definitely allowed us to set up bigger goals for her in the coming year.
Competing in the 40-44years F55kg weight class, we had Monika Endres who like a few of the others, was competing for TG Strength for the first time. A strong lifter in the lighter weight classes, she was focused on taking down some records. And so she did. 55kg for the National Masters Snatch Record and 123kg for the National Masters Total Record. And obviously, the Victorian Masters Champion title for her age group and category as well. But it was also a great stepping stone as we push her for the bigger comps this year.
Topping off the biggest coaching session for TG Strength was Toni Lane (45-49y, F59kg weight class) who was also a first-timer under the TG Roster. Making a few changes with her lifting technique, we were focusing on sustaining those changes and hitting good lifts. In the end, we walked away with great lifts for a 6/6 performance as well and ended up qualifying Toni for Senior Nationals with 60/80kg for a 140kg total.
In the third session of the day, we started off with Justin Kendrick (35-39y, M102kg). Being restricted in some of his movements due to an injury in his hip, we basically didnt focus on any squatting movements. So heading into this competition, he was definitely in great shape and even managed to hit some easy and solid lifts (75kg snatch and 100kg clean and jerk) for the podium win. Eventually, he was able to pull off these numbers due to the recommendation of Shermain (our practitioner) and now we are set for bigger numbers ahead.
Also in that session, we had Luke Scott competing in the 35-39y M96kg class. With only a 4-week preparation, he was gaining some consistency in his training and his strength was on its way back. Being able to hit comfortable openers (95kg snatch, 115kg clean and jerk), his time away from competition did have a toll on the later lifts. But we are optimistic with a longer preparation period, he will be surpassing his bests on the platform in the coming competitions for the year! His 210kg total still got him a silver medal in the weight class.
In the final session for the day, Sherri Stephen (40-44y F76kg) gave us a strong and power performance finishing with a 60kg snatch and 79kg clean and jerk to finish with a 139kg total. Not only did that get her the Victorian Masters Champion title, she also got plenty of compliments on her excellent lifting and explosiveness in her movements. For her, this is a good start to what we want to try to achieve for her in the coming year of local competitions.
Closing the day for TG Strength was Leora Yates (40-44y F81kg). Leading up, we had already solidified some of our preparation protocols for her and in each competition, it gets better and better. The results was a big testimony to the work Shermain and the team at Jurmaine Health have put in. Finishing with a snatch PB at 82kg, she hit her opening clean and jerk at 93kg (missing 97kg for a pressout and a last attempt at 100kg). Another strong start for her season as we have bigger competitions to dominate and numbers to achieve.
With each year, we grow in strength as a club. From last year’s 8 competitors, we grew our numbers to 12 in the competition. We walked away eventually with 10 Victorian Masters Champions. Our men’s team came in third and our women’s team finished on the top as the best Female Masters Club in Victoria.
This would only be possible with the support and help of our support network. Having a good team on our side to help with our athletes was the experience we wanted all our lifters to have going into competition. Big mentions to Shermain from Jurmaine Health to invest in our athlete’s wellbeing and movements to ensure that those who competed were ready to dominate with good numbers. Also big thanks to my assistant coach Cera who helped me out with the warm-ups for all the lifters and making sure their attempts were all counted on point to get them ready for their lifters out on the competition floor. She also played a big role in covering my coaching for those athletes in the warm-up area while I coached any lifter on the competition platform.
Like they say, it takes a village. For us, it’s this massive community that we have built at TG Strength that allows us to achieve massive change in your movements and mindset which eventually reflects in your performance on the platform.