Weightlifting: African Championships – Tunis, Tunisia May 11-20, 2023   |18 May 2023

Coloma punches the air on the podium with her gold medals around her neck (Photo: Tunisia Weightlifting Federation)

Coloma wins two gold medals

When Bouchra Hirech from Algeria failed with her final attempt, Seychellois female lifter Joelita Coloma celebrated victory in the 76kg weight category as she grabbed two gold medals in the ongoing African Weightlifting Championships in Tunis, Tunisia.

Yesterday, Coloma, 20, grabbed her first gold medal in snatch with a lift of 85kg but had to settle for a fourth position in clean and jerk. After lifting 100kg, she failed her attempt at 101kg but did not return to the platform for her third attempt as she had picked up a slight injury. Coloma’s Olympic total of 185kg brought her a second gold medal.

Algerian Hirech was second on 81kg-103kg-184kg and Rayssa Djifack from Cameroon was third on 77kg-103kg-180kg.

Seychelles has finished the championship with five medals ‒ two gold and three bronze ‒ after Ruby Malvina picked up three bronze medals to finish behind two lifters from the host country in the women’s 64kg weight category on Tuesday.

Her total of 187kg after snatching 80kg and lifting 107kg in clean and jerk placed her third behind Jawaher Gesmi who snatched 86kg and lifted 107kg in clean and jerk for a total of 193kg to finish second in the group, and winner Chaima Rhamouni who snatched 90kg and lifted 109kg in clean and jerk for a total of 199kg.

The event which is being hosted by the Weightlifting Federation of Africa (WFA) is also part of the qualification process for African countries at the Games of the XXXIII Olympiad which will take place in Paris, France from July 26 to August 11, 2024.

It is to note that at last year’s competition, Coloma won three silver medals in the 76kg weight category after snatching 80kg and lifting 100kg in clean and jerk for a total 180kg, while Malvina, despite finishing fourth overall in her category, her performance of 105kg in clean and jerk was enough to earn her a gold medal at the African Nation Cup which was taking place simultaneously.

Gerard Govinden