Two masters athletes defied gravity as they competed against the bar and heavy weight at the ACT Weightlifting Interclub competition at the ‘X’ in Fyshwick on Saturday.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Bermagui Weightlifting Club members and John Preston and Max Harris both passed their tests with flying colours and gained qualification to Australian and Oceania Masters Weightlifting Championships in Hobart in June.
Harris’s lifts of a snatch at 50kg and a clean and jerk at 63kg gave him a total of 113kg and he is also the new ACT record holder for the under 77kg body weight division in the 60 to 64 years age group.
Harris has a big task ahead to raise his total by 24kg to compete at the World Masters in New Zealand in 2017.
Preston's best snatch was at 33kg and his clean and jerk at 47kg gave him 80kg overall, enough for qualification to Hobart.
However, he needs to lift a total of 82kg to qualify for the World Masters.
Both Harris and Preston left the competition with some new goals and will adjust their training programs starting this week.
Harris said masters could compete alongside open division competitors, but the real goal was to improve your own results.
“To be better than you were yesterday,” Harris said.
“The challenge is in maintaining performance and even in just minimising the natural loss of some athletic ability as we age.”
Harris said the physical benefits of weightlifting assisted people to continue to participate in sports as they age.
“Strength and power sports of weightlifting can have a lot of health benefits for senior athletes if involvement is well managed,” he said.
“If you are interested in the sport of weightlifting or in lifting for its many health and sports benefits, Bermagui Weightlifting Club is available to all ages with qualified coaches available.”
BWC coaches have Australian Weightlifting coaching qualifications at levels one and two and one coach is completing level three, Powerlifting level one, and another coach is completing level one with Australian Strength and Conditioning Association.
BWC is at Bermagui Sports Centre, Bunga St, Bermagui.
Training times are from 4pm on Mondays and Wednesdays.
Phone president Cath Preston on 6493 5887 or vice-president John Preston on 6493 5887.
