Date posted 20 Jun 2018
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On Saturday 16th June the 2018 London Youth Games Weightlifting Championship was held at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre.

This was the fifth London Youth Games that lifters from Merton weightlifting club had attended, and the third games attended by Brixton Weightlifting members.

The games this year were therefore very special for these two groups, since their concept was borne out of the request by Merton council for Wimbledon leisure centre to set up a junior club, purely to get kids into that sport for the London youth games in 2014. In 2015, Lambeth Council asked representatives of Merton Weightlifting club to mimic that same model, at Brixton Recreation centre. More recently, the same model again is in its early stages at Hammersmith Fitness and Squash Centre.

Every year participation has grown, and due to the locations where these young people live, and school, they become eligible to represent various London Boroughs, even though they train at Wimbledon, Brixton or Hammersmith.

This year we had a team record of 7 total lifters, across 5 London Boroughs, and expectations were high to show growth and improvement – and these fantastic young people did not disappoint.

Bertie from Hammersmith and Fulham, got all 6 of his lifts in his first ever competition – a single person team (we had no female counterpart this year), and brought LBHF to 14th team place.

Tommy representing Kingston upon Thames, beat his personal bests, with a 45kg clean and jerk, almost equalling his bodyweight of 49kg, getting a joint 11th team position with Croydon.

Angelika also achieved a 45kg clean and jerk representing Wandsworth. Also getting all 6 of her lifts in, at her first competition, and a 9th place team position.

New girl Ruth, lifting for Lambeth got 5 out of 6 lifts and equalled her personal bests easily in her first ever competition – and setting up Stefano Cataldi nicely for his outing, and a strong start to a good team placing.

Maria, also got 5 out of 6 lifts, very easily. Bringing in good points for Merton.

Then we had the big boys…

Diell Zejnullahu, our 18 year old from Merton, who has learned powerlifting and weight lifting at Merton weightlifting club since he was 16, won the under 18 World Bench press championships last year (powerlifting), and is on his way to becoming a new lifter for the Kosovan National Weightlifting squad, was ready to rock and roll for his last outing at the Youth Games, as next year he becomes too old.

Stefano, only 15, who placed 4th over all last year, and is currently part of the British Weightlifting national and regional talent camps, was representing Lambeth. Although he has three more years still to participate in the games, he had high hopes for himself and his team.

Diell successfully lifted both of his first attempts, and lifted a 90kg snatch and a massive 131kg clean and jerk, and secured a fantastic bronze medal in the boys class – team Merton’s first ever individual medal.

Stefano lifted all six of his attempts very well, with a 90kg snatch and a 115kg clean and jerk. This secured him an amazing silver medal over all, outstanding in his second ever games.

The lifters and coaches waited with bated breath for the results of the team event.

Last year Merton were 6th and lambeth were 7th over all. The five year plan was to have team Merton make the top 5, and Lambeth’s three year plan was to join Merton in the top 5.

This year, Merton and Lambeth, our two main teams tied for Fifth place.

All lifters and coaches were ecstatic with this result, and proved that through a small community based venture in Better centres, with volunteer coaches, and keen participants, that excellence is possible.

The mantra since the start, by the Merton head coach, is to create positive, unique and memorable experiences for all – we are confident that the last 5 years (and Youth Games) has certainly achieved that.

Further accolades achieved by club members are:

Regional champions in Powerlifting, National Bench press champions, GB national Powerlifting team members, British Grass Roots Coach of the year in 2015, Merton Civic Award winners and runner ups, Sportivate participant of the year in 2016, World Bench press champion in 2017, Greater London record holders, National record holders, National and regional weightlifting talent camp members, national Weightlifting Champion, and numerous qualifiers for National Championships.