59 medals, 16 records: Kazakh weightlifters triumph at Asian Championships
Setting 11 Asian and 5 world records, Kazakhstan's athletes won 59 medals at the Asian Youth & Junior Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Qazinform News Agency reports, citing the Kazakhstan Weightlifting Federation.
The tournament ran from August 7 to 14. 28 weightlifters represented Kazakhstan.
The athletes of Kazakhstan captured 59 medals in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total events, including 19 golds.
Kazakhstan topped the team standings in the girls' youth (U17) and men's junior (U20) categories among all participating countries.
Snezhana Kashkarova was one of the tournament's standout performers. In the girls' (U17) 57kg division, she won three golds – snatch (88kg), clean and jerk (112kg), and total (200kg).
Competing in the women's category, Kashkarova took silver in the snatch (88kg) and gold in the clean and jerk (112kg) and total (200kg). She set three Asian and three world records and was named the Asian Weightlifting Federation's Best Female Athlete.
Ayanat Zhumagali won three golds in the women's 77kg category – snatch (104kg), clean and jerk (133kg), and total (237kg).
Nurzhan Zhumabay won two golds and a silver in the men's 95kg category, winning the snatch (159kg) and total (354kg), and taking silver in the clean and jerk (195kg). He also set three Asian records.
In the men's category, Zhumabay added a bronze in the snatch (159kg).
Akzhol Kurmanbek secured two golds and a silver in the men's 85kg category – silver in the snatch (160kg), gold in the clean and jerk (198kg), and gold in the total (358kg). He set two Asian records.
Xeniya Prozorova took two golds and a silver in the girls' 61kg category, winning the snatch (94kg) and total (204kg), and taking silver in the clean and jerk (110kg). She also set two Asian and two world records.
Beibarys Yerseit claimed two golds and a silver in the boys' U17 65kg category, winning the snatch (129kg) and total (281kg), and taking silver in the clean and jerk (152kg). He also set an Asian record.
Several other athletes from Kazakhstan also contributed to the team's medal haul. Silver medals were taken by Torekhan Assankhan, Kira Danilova, and Nurassyl Arapbay. Alikhan Askerbay, Nursyila Berikbol, Margarita Yermakova, Yerassyl Saulebekov, Yersultan Tursynbekov, Ramazan Omar, Zhanassyl Arapbay, and Aiganym Zhanbolat secured bronze medals. Sofiya Sheshukova won bronze and silver medals in the girls' and women's categories, respectively.
Central Asian Weightlifting Championships
Kazakhstani athletes also competed in the Central Asian Championships held alongside the Asian event in Tashkent:
- Insana Rashidova – gold
- Mukhamedali Koishybek – bronze
- Viktoria Murashkina – silver
- Ramazan Omar – bronze
Kazakhstan's weightlifting team finished the competition with outstanding results, setting Asian and world records.
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan’s top women’s singles player Elena Rybakina came up just short of winning her first WTA 1000 title in Toronto.