Kazakh athletes win gold and silver at World Weightlifting Championship in Almaty

Kazakhstan’s weightlifters Zhassulan Kydyrbayev and Vladimir Sedov has clinched two medals at the World Weightlifting Championship that was held in Almaty on November 8-16, Tengrinews reports citing Vesti.kz. Both athletes competed in the 94 kilo weight category.

A 2011 Asian Junior Champion and bronze prizewinner of 2012 IWF Junior World Championship Zhassulan Kydyrbayev won a gold medal for Kazakhstan. It was the first time he took part in the championship among adults. A World Champion of 2009 and bronze prizewinner of 2013 IWF World Championship Vladimir Sedov hauled a silver medal for Kazakhstan.

Sedov came out first in the snatch by lifting 188 kilos and thus, repeating the world record set by Georgian-Greek weighlifter Akakios Kakiasvili at the World Championship in Athens, Greece in 1999.

Kydyrbayev snatched 179 kilos and finished third in the snatch exercise. In the clean and jerk, Kydyrbayev lifted 229 kilos in his third attempt, lifting 408 kilos in total.

As for Sedov, he finished the clean and jerk exercise with 219 kilos and with 407 kilos in total.

"I am very happy in the first place that I overcame myself. It was the first time I participated in a world championship among adults, and I am glad that having debuted, especially in a home tournament, I was able to please the people of Kazakhstan by winning a gold medal. I am very grateful to Ilya Ilyin for his support and assistance in my training. I am also thankful to all my coaches. I respect them very much and appreciate what they do for us," World Champion Zhassulan Kydyrbayev said.

As for competition with Sedov, he noted that he did not aim at winning over someone, instead his goal was to overcome himself. " (...) I think that it is very good for our team that there are two athletes in one weight category. This gives us a tactical advantage over our opponents," Kydyrbayev said.

Kazakhstan's national team finished third at the World Weightlifting Championship in Almaty. Kazakh athletes won has five medals: three gold and two silver. Olympic champion of the 2012 London Games Zulfiya Chinshanlo hauled a gold medal in the 53 kilo weight league. Young Kazakh weightlifter Zhazira Zhapparkul won a silver medal in the 69 kilo weight league. As for men, in the 105 kilo weight league, Olympic champion of 2012 London Games Ilya Ilyin won a gold medal, thus becoming a four-time World Champion.

By Assel Satubaldina