2015 IWF Grand Prix Fuzhou China -- Chinese Olympic Champion Attempted Historical World Record

The Invitational event was held in Fuzhou in 10 bodyweight categories (5 women & 5 men) and was an Individual Qualification Event for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

This was the first time that such an impressive amount was given out as Prize Money during an IWF Grand Prix Event: in total 160.000 USD plus World Record bonus was awarded to the winners. CCTV broadcasted the competitions live where Medals were only awarded in Total.

The ultimate category to watch was the Men’s 77kg where a long standing World Record almost broke with LIAO Hui moving up from his original 69kg bodyweight. We expected lifts never seen before and we were not disappointed.

The 2013 Junior World Champion GUAN Chunying (CHN) won easily the W 48kg lifting 190kg. With a Total being 22kg lower – at 168kg, the two times European Champion (2014 and 2013) PAGLIARO Genny Caterina (ITA) came up second while third place went to Japan. ITOKAZU Kanako was handed over 3000 USD for her third place while the Gold and Silver medallists received 8000 USD and 5000 USD respectively.

In the 53kg bodyweight category, LI Yajun (CHN) World Champion in 2013 stood up on the first place of the podium with 221kg. Ending the Snatch at 101kg, she was only 2kg away from a World Record. The Silver went to her compatriot HOU Zhihui (CHN), Silver Medallist at the 2015 IWF Junior World Championships in Wroclaw, POL. SUTANAN Kittima (THA), who lifter 200kg for her bronze medal at the 2013 IWF World Championships only got to 189kg this time earning the Bronze Medal in the Total.

In the Men’s 56kg, SCARANTINO Mirco (ITA) the European Junior Champion in 2013 and 2014 / European Championships Silver in 2014 and Bronze in 2015, took risks in the Clean and Jerk. With a missed first attempt, he came for a second at 139kg and managed to control the weight. To win the Gold, he had to go higher, but 144kg seemed too much. He got the second place after the Indonesian lifter PURKON Muhamad who had no result so far registered at international level. With his Total of 241kg, BARNES Darren Lamar (USA) was not far from his best – 245kg – reached at the 2014 Pan American Junior where he finished 2nd. He now stood on the third place and got a Bronze for USA.

The final fight for the Gold in the Men’s 62kg took place between World Champion in 2009 and Bronze Medallist in 2014 DING Jianjun (CHN) and IRAWAN Eko Yuli (INA) Bronze Medallist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. It was an easy one for DING. The last two Clean and Jerk attempts of the Indonesian lifter were no lifts, while DING got it easy with 166kg. His Total of 309kg brought him the victory, while IRAWAN ended second with 304kg. Best in the Snatch, the 2012 IWF Junior World Championships Silver HUANG Minhao (CHN) was far behind the leading two – 152kg – but got the Bronze with 299kg. This result is still 1kg better than what he did in 2013 at the Asian Championships where he also won the Bronze.

Chinese women won all two bodyweight categories on the second competition day.

LI Ping (CHN) missed a couple of years in international competitions won the Snatch with 102kg in the Women’s 58kg, the Clean and Jerk with 128kg. The several times World and Asian Champion ended with 230kg on the first place of the podium here in Fuzhou. Ending on exactly the same weights – 102kg, 128kg and 230kg – her compatriot CHAI Lina (CHN) had a higher bodyweight and therefore could only took over the Silver Medal. The Bronze Medal and the Prize Money of 3000 USD went to DAENGSRI Nawaporn (THA) Youth World Champion in 2015. She ended with a Total of 206kg – far from the 2 leaders.

In the Women’s 63kg, CHEN Guiming (CHN) had only 3 successful attempts – 1 in the Snatch and 2 in the Clean and Jerk – but still made with first place with a good advantage of 15kg. Afro-Asian Champion in 2014, she had only one good Snatch with 100kg, she was 1kg behind KHLESTKINA Natalia (RUS) who in the Clean and Jerk was far behind CHEN. KHLESTKINA attempted the 130kg Clean and Jerk, but this 11kg raise seemed too heavy. The Kazakh SADUAKASSOVA Saule (KAZ) closed the podium with 208kg and a Bronze Medal.

Men’s 69kg

ZHANG Jie (CHN) World Champion in 2011 and several times Asian Champion ended the Snatch with 145kg followed by KIM Alexandr from Kazakhstan with 141kg. With 140kg, and being third only by bodyweight, the Russian PETROV Sergey was 6kg away from his European Championships Snatch of 146kg. With two missed attempts in the Clean and Jerk, ZHANG registered a successful lift at 170kg and with his Total of 315kg, he was victorious getting the Gold Medal. In the Clean and Jerk, it was PETROV’s time to get back the 1kg advantage over KIM and ending with the same Total of 308kg, the lighter Russian won over the Kazakh. The Total Result of the Gold Medal winner LIAO at the 2014 IWF World Championships in Almaty was 44kg’s away at 359kg.

Men’s 77kg

Starting at 160kg in the Snatch and missing his first lift, LIAO Hui ended the Snatch 4kg above his own World Record achieved in the 69kg bodyweight category. His jump from 160kg to 170kg was a risky one, but he controlled the weight perfectly and got a serious advantage.

At a bodyweight of 73,72kg, he Clean and Jerked 190kg, enough to secure for him the victory, and also to have 2 more attempts to try to break the World Records in both Clean and Jerk and Total.

The 2001 Clean and Jerk Record of PEREPETCHENOV is a long standing one, and was attempted by many – like at the IWF World Championships in Paris where both LU Xiaojun (CHN) and SA Jaehyouk (KOR) failed breaking it.

LIAO also couldn’t make it, even if during his first attempt, he managed to Clean the 211kg. Winning the 77kg bodyweight category with a Total of 360kg, he finished before second place winner PAVLOV Kirill (KAZ) ending with 350kg. PAVLOV won the Bronze Medal at the 2014 IWF World Championships in Almaty with 352kg.

Third place was also attributed to a Kazakh lifter, KAZOV Aidar with 347kg.

In the Men’s 85kg, awaiting for a Chinese fight between LU and ZHONG, we got it between YUFKIN Alexey (RUS) and the Silver Medallist at the London 2012 Olympic Games LU Haojie (CHN). LU had only 1 successful attempt in the Snatch with 165kg missing the next two at 170kg and 173kg, but still took the lead. In the Clean and Jerk, he went up to 200, and won with a 3kg advantage over YUFKIN. The European Champion in 2009 and 2011 Russian attempted the 204kg Clean and Jerk, but wasn’t successful. His Total of 362kg got him the Silver Medal. LINDER Semen (KAZ) came up third with 351kg. World Champion in 2014 ZHONG Guoshun (CHN) ended 5th with 350kg missing twice the Snatch and the Clean and Jerk.

The Women’s 69kg started with 9 consecutive good lifts with each lifters coming after themselves – they didn’t competed against each other. First attempt of the Chinese lifter ZHANG coming out last at 113kg and after 2 no lifts finally managed to control the weight. The Clean and Jerk competition followed the same scheme, however we’ve seen some more missed attempts. The Kazakh lifter failed to lift 115kg, while the Egyptian AHMED couldn’t lift the weight of 135kg. With no international records registered, ZHANG Wangli (CHN) jumped from a first successful attempt at 135kg to 145kg then to 150kg – all good lifts. The last bodyweight category at the 2015 IWF Grand Prix Fuzhou, China ended with the victory of the Chinese lifter ZHANG for her Total of 263kg. The 2013 and 2015 Youth World Champion and 2014 Youth Olympic Champion AHMED Sara Samir Elsayed Mohamed (EGY) came up second with 5 successful attempts and a Total of 235kg. Th ird place was awarded to SADYKOVA Assem (KAZ).

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