Armands Mežinskis delivered the highest placement of any Latvian athlete at the World Weightlifting Championships in Ningbo, China, finishing 21st in the men’s 95-kilogram category with a combined total of 353 kilograms, Jauns.lv reported. The 21st-place finish edges out compatriot Rebeka Ibrahima, who took 22nd in the women’s 61-kilogram division, according to LSM.
Mežinskis, competing in Group C, lifted 161 kilograms in the snatch and 192 kilograms in the clean and jerk, Sportacentrs.com reported. His teammate Artūrs Vasiļonoks, also in the 95-kilogram class, placed 26th among 37 athletes who recorded valid totals, lifting 157 kilograms in the snatch and 190 kilograms in the clean and jerk for a combined 347 kilograms.
Mežinskis Leads Latvian Quartet in China
Latvia sent four athletes to the championships: Mežinskis and Vasiļonoks in the men’s 95-kilogram division, Ritvars Suharevs in the men’s 85-kilogram class, and Ibrahima in the women’s 61-kilogram category. Suharevs finished 32nd in his division with a total of 308 kilograms, TVNET Sports reported. He completed all six of his attempts, lifting 135 kilograms in the snatch and 173 kilograms in the clean and jerk, earning the best result in Group D among 11 competitors.
Ibrahima, returning to major competition after knee surgery and rehabilitation, placed 22nd with 211 kilograms, LSM reported. She lifted 96 kilograms in the snatch and 115 kilograms in the clean and jerk. Latvian national team coach Eduards Andruškevičs told LSM before the trip that for Ibrahima’s comeback, the priority was settling back into competition.
Nasar Dominates 95-Kilogram Field
Bulgaria’s Carlos Nasar won the 95-kilogram title with a total of 415 kilograms, lifting 185 kilograms in the snatch and 230 kilograms in the clean and jerk, Sportacentrs.com reported. Kazakhstan’s Nargiz Adiletuly took silver with 399 kilograms, and Iran’s Ali Alipur claimed bronze with 396 kilograms.
In the 85-kilogram division, Egypt’s Abdelrahman Younes Elsayed set a new world record with a total of 390 kilograms, TVNET Sports reported. Colombia’s Yeison Lopez Lopez, who set a new world record in the snatch, took silver with 387 kilograms, while China’s Jiangjin Lei earned bronze with 382 kilograms. Forty-one athletes competed in Suharevs’s weight class.
Olympic Qualification Stakes for Paris 2028 Path
The championships in Ningbo serve as the first competition in the qualification cycle for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, LSM reported. The qualification format includes ten competitions, with each athlete’s five best results counting toward Olympic qualification. Ibrahima’s next start in the Olympic qualification series is scheduled for December in Doha, Qatar.
The World Championships conclude Sunday, November 8, with competition continuing through the final weight classes.
Related reading
