China led the way as Asian nations claimed 12 of the 16 titles at the IWF World Junior Championships in Ismailia, Egypt. Besides having seven winners, China had the top individual points scorers for men and women, and introduced a 15-year-old superstar to the weightlifting world.
Hu Wenxun will not leave the youth ranks until the end of 2027, so she has plenty more time to improve a record that is guaranteed to stand the test of time and might never be broken (except by her).
Hu Wenxun (CHN)
In the final session of the Championships, Hu broke all three of her own super-heavyweight youth world records in making 125-163-288. That would have won any of the three senior continental titles contested so far this year. It equalled the total made by Emily Campbell for an Olympic bronze medal in Paris.
Hu is 15. She lifted the biggest total by any female in the youth age group, 13 to 17, in weightlifting history. She beat the previous highest by 16kg and is capable of extending her dominance in her next competition in July, the World Youth Championships in Colombia. China is sending a team of one – Hu Wenxun.
Ye Xinye (CHN)
Chinese women hold the women’s super-heavyweight world records at youth, junior and senior level. Their junior star, Li Yan, lifts at the Asian Championships in India on May 17 and has already displaced the 26-year-old double Olympic champion Li Wenwen as her nation’s number one. How long before Hu starts pushing towards the top?
Hu did not top the individual points list because age is not taken into account, but she was undoubtedly the star of the week.
Ye Xinye, who set a 58kg junior world record in snatch, was rated top on points ahead of her team-mates Peng Tianfeng at 53kg and Lin Jingwei, who set two junior world records at 69kg.
Joseline Lopez (MEX)
Joseline Lopez from Mexico, second at 58kg, was ranked fourth, then came the 63kg champion Thanaporn Saetia from Thailand, who was winning for the fourth time in a row and has fully recovered from a loss of form in 2024.
Anamjan Rustamova’s 257kg total for Turkmenistan at 86kg, the day before her 20th birthday, was also very impressive and she could be one to watch during Olympic qualifying.
Mauricio Loaiza (VEN)
The men’s 60kg was high-quality, producing the athletes ranked first and third on points, both from China. Kang Lixin made 290kg to edge out Kuang Chengmin by 1kg.
Mauricio Loaiza, one of two winners for Venezuela, was ranked second for his 373kg total at 94kg. Venezuela has plenty of promising youngsters, male and female, and will be expecting to win plenty more medals at the World Youths in Cali, where it has entered a strong team.
Albert Delos Santos (PHI)
Albert Delos Santos from the Philippinnes did his late father proud when, with his mother in the coaching team, he set a clean and jerk junior world record on the way to victory at 71kg. His father had passed away two months earlier.
Iran, despite disruptions to their preparations, also had two men’s winners, both on the final day. Abolfazl Zare made 400kg at 110kg, finishing fifth in the rankings, a place behind Delos Santos.
Abolfazl Zare (IRI)
The team did not arrive until day four of the Championships because of difficulties getting visas and finding transport. Their training plans had been ruined because of the war.
Their five medals on total made Iran the top men’s team. Their performance went down well back home, where Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, delivered a message of congratulations to the team, praising their “determination, talent and spirit of perseverance”.
Hussein Metwally Abdelrahman (EGY)
The biggest cheer of the week in Ismailia was for the 79kg champion Hussein Metwally Abdelrahman. He was the host nation’s only winner, making it three world titles in a row twice being Youth champion.
By Brian Oliver
Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
