Weightlifting – Open Championship |05 June 2023
The championship's best lifters with sponsor Dr Murthy (Photo: Roland Duval)
11 new records in the book
- Rick Confiance, Ruby Malvina best lifters
Eleven new records entered the books during the Open Championship hosted by the Seychelles Weightlifting Association on Saturday at the Bel Ombre community centre, while Rick Confiance and Ruby Malvina were voted as the competition’s best male and female lifters respectively.
The Open Championship, jointly sponsored by the Seychelles Weightlifting Association (SWA) and Dr Murthy's Medical and Gastro Clinic, was part of the association’s selection process for the forthcoming 11th Indian Ocean Island Games (IOIG) scheduled to take place in Madagascar from August 23 to September 3.
Twenty-two (22) lifters – 12 males and 10 females – took part in the first local competition for the year.
The first lifter to rewrite the record books was Malvina in the 64kg weight category where she clean and jerked 108kg to better her old record which was 107kg. After snatching 80kg to equal her record, she finished with a total of 188kg, which is also a record.
Still in the winning mode following her exploit at the recently-held African Weightlifting Championships in Tunis, Tunisia where she won two gold medals in the 76kg weight category, Joelita Coloma smashed the national record in snatch which was previously 89kg, bettering it to 90kg, while in the clean and jerk, she lifted 110kg to better the old best which was 103kg. She finished with a total of 200kg which has also gone down as a record.
Confiance was also among the record breakers on Saturday, bettering both the snatch and clean and jerk records in the 81kg category.
He snatched 120kg to better the old record which was 112kg, while in clean and jerk he lifted 140kg improving the old record which was 137kg, bringing his total to 260kg for a record.
Only 14 years old, youngster Giliano Pierre, who competes in the cadet category, was the first male lifter to enter the record books with three new records of his own.
Without a national standard for the cadet category, Pierre’s results were automatically registered as three new records.
The young lifter snatched 53kg, while in clean and jerk, he lifted 70kg for a final total of 123kg.
Saturday’s competition also brought its fair share of bad luck as two competitors, namely medal prospect at the forthcoming IOIG Romentha Larue who competes in the 87kg, and Robert Kilindo in the 109kg, picked up injuries.
Fresh out of an injury which prevented her from competing at last month’s African Weightlifting Championships, Larue suffered an injury in her arm during her second clean and jerk attempt.
Commenting on the competition, newly re-elected SWA chairman Robert Rose said he was very satisfied with the performance of the athletes, given the fact they have just started serious training.
He said he was impressed with the performances of the younger lifters, a sign that the future of the sport locally is quite promising.
Regarding the IOIG, Mr Rose said they are still waiting to finalise the team’s overseas training, noting that if they get sufficient quality training, the local lifters will definitely shine at the Games, with only host Madagascar being their main opponents.
He added that with the right preparation, Team Seychelles will be competing at the Games, and not participating.
The complete results of the Open Championship
Female 64Kg
Ruby Malvina – Snatch (80kg), Clean and jerk (108kg, record), Total (188kg, record)
Shanshita Nagarajan – Snatch (55kg), Clean and jerk (65kg), Total (120kg)
Kayla Melanie – Snatch (40kg), Clean and jerk (45kg), Total (85kg)
Female 71kg
Amivera Belle – Snatch (40kg), Clean and jerk (45kg), Total (85kg)
Female 76kg
Joelita Coloma – Snatch (90kg, record), Clean and jerk (110kg, record), Total (200kg, record)
Female 81kg
Brenda Lozaique – Snatch (65kg), Clean and jerk (80kg), Total (145kg)
Female 87kg
Assania Rose – Snatch (55kg), Clean and jerk (70kg), Total (125kg)
Female 87kg+
Chakira Rose – Snatch (73kg), Clean and jerk (105kg), Total (178kg)
Josta Meriton – Snatch (50kg), Clean and jerk (67kg), Total (117kg)
Male 45kg
Guiliano Pierre – Snatch (53kg, record), Clean and jerk (70kg, record), Total (123kg, record)
Male 64kg
Daryl Riaze – Snatch (92kg), Clean and Jerk (113kg), Total (205kg)
Leeam Robert – Snatch (65kg), Clean and jerk (90kg), Total (155kg)
Male 73kg
Stephane Clarisse – Snatch (90kg), Clean and jerk (110kg), Total (200kg)
Raj Kowlessur – Snatch (70kg), Clean and jerk (95kg), Total (165kg)
Male 81kg
Rick Confiance – Snatch (120kg, record), Clean and jerk (140kg, record), Total (260kg, record)
Male 89kg
Dereck Comme – Snatch (100kg), Clean and Jerk (150kg), Total (250kg)
Male 102kg
Terrence Dixie – Snatch (90kg), Clean and jerk (130kg), Total (220kg)
Male 109kg
Cyrus Farabeau – Snatch (95kg), Clean and jerk (135kg), Total (230kg)
Samuel Saminadin – Snatch (82kg), Clean and jerk (112kg), Total (194kg)
Roland Duval
