Ismailia, Day 2: Two more titles for China, medal number four for Egypt’s Aly and a good day for Argentina’s female ‘John Wick’

China maintained its 100 per cent record at the IWF World Junior Championships with two more victories in Egypt. That made it five from five in two days in Ismailia, where only one national anthem has been heard so far.

There were three world records on the day, one for China in the juniors and one each at youth level for Moldova and Kazakhstan. Egypt had its first medal of the week on total, and there was a colourful group celebration after the women’s 58kg by three Latin American teams who all won medals, Mexico, Argentina and Venezuela.

Ye Xinye (CHN)

Unfortunately for the Kazakhstan world record athlete, 17-year-old Beibarys Yerseit, he left the platform on a stretcher after injuring his left knee in his first clean and jerk attempt.

Both of China’s champions were competing internationally for the first time. Ye Xinye set a snatch world record in making 100-120-220 in the women’s 58kg, and Wang Liqian made 138-164-302 at 65kg. Wang’s team-mate Wan Jinping was second and Elsayed Aly from Egypt was third, making it four medals in four years at the World Juniors.

Elsayed Aly (EGY)

Two snatch world records fell in quick succession at 58kg but seven further record attempts were unsuccessful.

Nicoleta Cojocaru from Moldova was the first record-breaker of the Championships when she bettered the world youth mark on 91kg. The 16-year-old went for more records but failed twice in clean and jerk, finishing sixth on 91-106-197.

Yasmine Mohamed from Egypt, also 16, went for youth records in snatch, clean and jerk and total but did not make any of them. She was fifth on 88-110-198 in her first IWF competition.

Beibarys Yerseit (KAZ)

Ye took the junior snatch record on 100kg and finished 7kg clear. “I have hit a snatch of 100kg couple of times in training,” she said. “Overall, it was a bit below my expectations as my technique didn’t perform well during the competition. But this was my first time on the international stage, so I’m fairly satisfied with my result.”

Her ambition is to step on to the Olympic platform, just like her favourite lifter Li Wenwen, the double Olympic super-heavyweight champion. “Li Wenwen is fearless and competitive on the platform, and off the platform she is a great sister who often helps us in solving technical problems,” said Ye.

Maria Paz Casadevall (ARG)

Joseline Lopez from Mexico, who was seventh last year and 10th in 2024 at lighter weights, was second on 92-121-213 – a 22kg improvement on her previous best total. Lopez failed with a clean and jerk world record attempt on 126kg.

Third place went to Maria Paz Casadevall from Argentina. Two years ago she became Argentina’s first ever weightlifting world champion when she took the youth title at 59kg as a 16-year-old, and last year she was third in the Juniors.

Nicoleta Cojocaru (MDA)

Casadevall made it three World Championships medals in three years, this time at a lighter weight, on a career-best 91-115-206. “I can make 220 in the 61kg (Olympic) category,” she said.

Her coach Roman Gorosito said, “I know she can do it in Olympic qualification because Paz fights like John Wick (in the Hollywood film series). She never gives up, she keeps improving.”

Casadevall came to the sport in her home town of San Jorge because her elder sister, Maria Luz, was a weightlifter. Last week Maria Luz, 25, won the 58kg Pan American title on 214kg.

Joseline Lopez (MEX)

After her famous youth win two years ago, Maria Paz said of her sister, “I compete against her but I haven’t beaten her yet.”

How about now? “No, we are level with each other – but it will happen next year!”

Venezuela’s medallist was Yilihannys Jimenez, third in snatch and fourth overall on 92-113-205.

Wang Liqiang had a sweep of golds and missed only one attempt, his last at 166kg. Wan was fifth after two snatch failures but finished second on 132-165-297. He had a chance at gold but 171kg was beyond him on his final attempt.

Elsayed Aly, whose World Juniors record reads second in 2023, third in 2024 and champion last year, all at 61kg, was on the podium again for Egypt in his final year as a junior. He made 131-160-291 for bronze in clean and jerk and total.

Samoel Rrasa won snatch silver for Albania and finished fourth with a five-from-six 134-156-290. Snatch bronze went to A Tieu from Vietnam, fifth on 134-155-289.

By Brian Oliver

Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia