Otago Weightlifting had a big weekend hosting the South Island weightlifting championships at Kaikorai Valley College, and capped it off by winning the best senior male and female team titles.
The senior male team finished with a massive 236 points ahead of second-placed HCC Barbell, of Christchurch, with 109 points.
The Otago female team beat HCC Barbell with 152 points compared to the visiting team’s 94 points.
Otago athletes also produced some impressive individual results, winning four overall titles, and 19 titles across the 27 weight classes.
Emma McIntyre, who lives in Christchurch but trains in Otago, was named best senior open female lifter, producing a 87kg snatch and 106kg in the clean and jerk in the under-64kg category.
Her results helped her qualify for the senior world championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in September.
There was further success in the junior and youth categories, Jeremy Manteiga named best youth male lifter, securing victory with a 63kg snatch and 72kg clean and jerk in the under-73kg category, and Nevareta (Patrick) Sefo-Cloughley won best junior male lifter with a 104kg snatch and 135kg clean and jerk in the under-81kg class.
Dual Otago and Canterbury Strength Institute athlete Uzair Qamar was named best senior male lifter, lifting 95kg in the snatch and 120kg in the clean and jerk in the under-67kg category.
Litia Nacagilevu (Nelson) made a clean sweep of the youth and junior best female lifter titles, with a 90kg snatch and 105kg clean and jerk in the under-81kg class.
Jennifer Brown (Christchurch City) won best masters female lifter, finishing with a 30kg snatch and 50kg clean and jerk in the under-55kg 55-59 masters category, and Jarrad Bone (Victory Barbell) won the male masters title, with his 98kg snatch and 125kg clean and jerk under-89kg 40-44 masters category.
Other highlights included Em Hewson winning the junior and senior female 55kg weight grade, Julian Harker picking up the junior and senior men’s 89kg titles, Oliver Rohtmets securing the junior and senior men’s 73kg grade, and Sefo-Cloughley winning the junior and senior men’s 81kg titles.
