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World Uni, All Schools, League Final and MK Shield and American Open
He has had a busy year work wise and also a few troubling injuries so it was great to see him back up near to top weights which sets him up well for 2017
Qld All Schools
John Downes lifted amazingly well at the Queensland All Schools Championships - he snatched 110kg and clean and jerked 130kg, smashing the existing Australian record total by 15kg. - He also was he best U15 and Open Lifter - On top of that he did the qualifying total for the Australian Team for the 2017 World Youth Championships
League Final
Tessa Milton put in a very solid 6/6 75Kg 94Kg and 6kg PB total to win division 2 of the QWA League and next week pulled out a 77Kg snatch in the Mike Keelan shield which was one of the best snatches I have seen all year - just an amazing lift!
Mike Keelan Shield
Paige did her first A grade total of 70, 83 at 58 and a 5kg PB 6/6 total to win the female side of the Mike Keelan shield - it was very solid lifting and its great to see her starting to show her potential now she is getting on top of her injuries.
American Open
I had another late night after the Uni Championships watching a lifter I remotely coach lift at the American Open - Camzin Martin in only her third lifting comp put in a very respectable 180 total at 75 - she learnt a lot from the event and is looking forward to competing next year at the Nationals. The coverage was outstanding - with a high definition feed coming from each of the 3 platforms.
Commonwealth Youth, Junior & Senior Championships
It was a strange championships for me as I had no leave so was unable to go as a team coach - but I always have utmost faith in the team coaches and I know the guys are used to being coached by anybody so I was not worried - just I would like to be there as I really enjoy platform coaching. There is no greater feeling for me as a coach than being at the side when a lifter pulls out an important lift under pressure and nothing worse when it does not go to plan.
Damo had a huge battle under pressure from an array of young guns but after a disappointing start showed his class to pull out a 210 CJ and take the title of 2016 Commonwealth Champion with a 373 Total.
James Norman did an equal PB total and 117 PB snatch to go 6/6 for the event - with just a great display of competition lifting !
I was very proud that Ebony Gorincu made her first International and put in a solid 4/6 performance - she works very hard and she is so committed so it makes it very special for me to see her rewarded for her efforts.
Full results at www.oceaniaweightlifting.com
(Thank you Erika Yamasaki for the great photos)
Rio 2016
It was a great honour and privilege to be Australian Weightlifting Section Manager and Head Coach at the Olympics in Rio
It was interesting to compare London 2012 and Rio 2016 - London for me felt a bigger event not only from the coaching experience but also in the size of the venues, crowds and in fact every other matter. However I enjoyed watching sports in Rio more as the smaller venues enabled you to be closer to the action.
It was great to have the support of Shane and Jacquie while as I was there and the two athletes Tia and Simplice represented Australia with great honour, now forever to be Australian Olympians.
2016 Rio Olympic weightlifting results
Rio 2016 Olympic Games Qualification Team Classification - 2016 Oceania Championships
To say it was an emotional and tense week at the Oceania championships was an understatement !
The coaches, team manager and athletes worked very well as a team to secure our two Rio nomination slots and also gave the Rio contenders the best chance under the circumstances to contend the sole male and female Australian Olympic Games nominations.
Tia had a very successful championships and secured the sole Rio nomination slot and broke the QLD Snatch record with an 85Kg snatch at 58kg and was the 3rd best female of the championships on Sinclair this gave her also the top female Australian Sinclair ranking this year.
Damo was very very close to getting ahead of Simplice to go to Rio but just missed 217kg on the jerk in an amazing display of competition lifting, it was very tough on all concerned with the decision being so close (2 reds to 1 white) - but taking a positive out of this he is very close to the old best total and injury free
Mitch was also very close to 143 snatch at 85 (just losing behind) which would have been a new Qld record - he was a lot more relaxed at this major event than last time - I was just so proud that he has made it back to represent Australia after such a frustrating time last year with injury.
Australian International
The club hosted the Australian International at the end of March being an Aus team Olympic Qualifying Event and also last qualifying comp for a few major internationals it was a major affair !
As usual Ian did a great job of running the comp and the club did a great job helping the QWA.
In the 58 Class
It was great to see Jess back in her first major competition since the Glasgow Games with her total going back up with each comp
In the 69 Class
Ebony did a PB Snatch of 81 and just missed getting 100 CJ with a elbow wobble - but that was enough to get a gold medal
Tessa for her first major competition did very well going for 6/6 and PB's in all lifts to grab silver in a close battle
In the 75 Class
Amie has been strugging with a knee issue which is on the mend but she still managed a PB snatch - by 4 and total by 3 - she is a great platform lifter and dedicated trainer and deserves these PB's
In the 75+ Class
Erin was also in great form also getting 6/6 and PB's in all lifts to get a bronze
In the 69 Mens division
Guyan did a PB CJ of 133 and equal PB total after some big PB's a few weeks ago
In the 77 Mens division
Ryley was very close to a 121 snatch PB but was down overall on total due to focusing on the Crossfit Opens
James was trying to Qualify for World Juniors - he had already done the qualifying total in Dec but I wanted to improve on that in this comp
He had a terrible run of training and sickness leading up to the event and the warmup was not great but managed to do 110 (second go) and 142 to do a kg over the qualifying total a VERY gutsy display of platform lifting.
Josh Mak who has come back from a back injury and also is studying hard in year 12 put in a solid 5/6 on the platform
In the 85 Mens division
I agonized about the starters for Mitch for a whole week - he had just managed 140 in training the week before but that was after missing as heap of snatches 133 upwards - 130 was his comp PB
but he would need 301 to be selected for the Oceania's so he had to get 140 to have a chance as 161CJ was going to be near limit.
I decided to see how the warmup was going and then start on 130 if all was ok - he went 130, 136 (new Qld record) 140 m then 156 , 161 for 3 Qld records - 2 snatch and 1 total and a 11kg PB.
it was just an awesome display of lifting and great to see after a terrible second part of last year with injury.
In the 105+ division Damo was going for 385 to get ahead of Simplice for a number 1 Rio slot.
Unfortunately it was not his day - he missed his opener on 160 and his second attempt was back but fine and then he just dived under 165 and missed it - we decided to just go for 180 CJ to get a total in so he could get back into training ASAP
Jax has had a lot going on at the moment and his training has suffered - he still managed a very respectable 286
Australian International Results Book
With major competitions like this it can all become rather stressful at times - luckily we have people like these two lovely ladies at the club that remind me to have a laugh and enjoy the sport :)
Crossfit Opens
A lot of the people I coach have been taking part in the Crossfit Opens this month and its been great to follow their progress
Here is the custom leaderboard
There is a great article on Tia on the Crossfit Games site
http://games.crossfit.com/article/tia-clair-toomeys-second-chance
“It was my first time actually going to the gym (Cougars) and I got to experience watching one of his athletes train,” Toomey said, describing watching Damon Kelly, ninth- and 16th-place finisher at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in Beijing and London, respectively. “I was in awe of just watching him and how fast he was with just moving the barbell, and how composed he was.”
“As soon as I left that gym that day, I was like, ‘Wow, Shane, I thought I'd try for (the Olympics in) sprints, but I really want to give the weightlifting a go,” she continued.
Angie and myself and some club members watched Tia do 16.5 at Reebok Crossfit Gold Coast - it was great to see her in action !!
Virtuosity
In 2008 I was very lucky to go along to the first Crossfit Level 1 in Australia, it was very inspirational to listen to Greg and the other trainers
One of the best concepts I like is Greg discussing virtuosity and its something a need to remind myself as a coach, and this not only applies to the novice but also to the advanced lifter struggling with a point sometimes you need to go back and simplify the movement to gain long term progress....
"In this 2005 open letter to CrossFit trainers, Coach Greg Glassman discusses the importance of virtuosity, defined in gymnastics as “performing the common uncommonly well.”
Unlike risk and originality, virtuosity is elusive, supremely elusive. It is, however, readily recognized by audience as well as coach and athlete. There is a compelling tendency among novices developing any skill or art, whether learning to play the violin, write poetry, or compete in gymnastics, to quickly move past the fundamentals and on to more elaborate, more sophisticated movements, skills, or techniques.
What will inevitably doom a physical training program and dilute a coach’s efficacy is a lack of commitment to fundamentals. Rarely now do we see prescribed the short, intense couplets or triplets that epitomize CrossFit programming. Rarely do trainers really nitpick the mechanics of fundamental movements.
I understand how this occurs. It is natural to want to teach people advanced and fancy movements. The urge to quickly move away from the basics and toward advanced movements arises out of the natural desire to entertain your client and impress him with your skills and knowledge. But make no mistake: it is a sucker’s move. Teaching a snatch where there is not yet an overhead squat, teaching an overhead squat where there is not yet an air squat, is a colossal mistake. This rush to advancement increases the chance of injury, delays advancement and progress, and blunts the client’s rate of return on his efforts. In short, it retards his fitness.
There is plenty of time within an hour session to warm up, practice a basic movement or skill or pursue a new PR or max lift, discuss and critique the athletes’ efforts, and then pound out a tight little couplet or triplet utilizing these skills or just play. CrossFit trainers have the tools to be the best trainers on earth. We want virtuosity!!"
Greg Glassman