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Nikos Kourtidis wins 3 gold medals at Weightlifting Championships
HellenicAthletes.com Staff
| Saturday, September 9 2006 7:29:58 PM |
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A total of four medals today - and seven in total - for the Greek weightlifting team as the European Junior Weightlifting Championships wrapped up today in Palermo, Italy.
Golden all around was 19-year-old Nikolaos Kourtidis, with 3 wins in each of the snatch, clean & jerk and total weight.
| He lifted 170kgs in the snatch and 221 kgs in the clean & jerk - breaking the Greek record - for a total of 391 kgs (860.2 lbs). He did not miss a single attempt. What was even more remarkable about today's feat was that he was the lightest competitor in the 105 kgs division weighing only 97.80 kgs (215 lbs), but still managed to out lift his nearest competitor by 26 kgs overall.
While he competed in the 105 kgs division today, Kourtidis usually competes at 94kgs, and will do so next month at the World Championships in Santo Domingo.
"I knew I was going to lift well given my weight, but when you come away with 3 gold medals it is an incredible feeling. Next up are the World Championships," said Kourtidis after his competition.
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Nikos Kourtidis
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Super-heavyweight (+105 kgs) Dimitris Papageridis managed a bronze medal in the snatch, with a lift of 175 kgs. He failed in his next two attempts at 181 & 182 kgs. He missed all three attempts in the clean & jerk at 215 kgs.
This was a disappointing day for him, however, given the expectations after having walked away with 6 gold medals in the last two championships. He had 3 bronze medals in 2003.
Victoria Mavridou had a difficult day in the +75 kgs division, the heaviest in the women's competition. The 15-year-old athlete managed a 5th place finish in the snatch with a 90kgs lift on her second attempt. She failed on her 3rd attempt at 93kgs.
Mavridou's clean & jerk competition was cut short after she hurt her lower back on her 1st attempt at 100 kgs. She was forced to retire at that point and seek medical care.
Related story:
Lazaridis wins 3 silvers at Weightlifting Championships
Greece sends five lifters to European Jr. Weightlifting Championships
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