Author Jo Whiteley
The 69s was a running battle up and down the ranks. Noemi Fanton (ITA) and Ramune Vainauskyte (LTU) threw the squat world record back and forth like a favourite toy. Fanton first with 185.5 that was immediately snatched away by Vainauskyte’s 190kg. Fanton took it back with her final squat at 190.5 which moved like an empty bar. Vainuaskyte ground out 195kg but it was overturned by the jury on depth and Fanton went into bench half a kilo ahead.
Agnes Rudin (SWE) extended her own junior world record, first to 116.5 and then 121kg. At sub-total, this put the Lithuanian a kilo and a half ahead of Rudin who was half a kilo ahead of Fanton. However, junior world champion, Clara Peyraud (FRA) was also in the mix, having quietly crept up to 4th place, only 3kg back from Fanton.
Vainauskyte’s campaign faltered when she missed her 200kg deadlift opener – she let the bar swing out in front, causing it to dip and, incidentally costing her a lot of energy to pull it back. Peyraud shot into the lead, opening with a fast 202.5kg. Samantha Eugenie briefly went ahead with her first pull at 210kg but this was subsequently rejected by the jury for downward movement. Both Vainauskyte and Eugenie retook their openers successfully but, by then, Peyraud was sailing out in front and looking pretty comfortable doing it. Her 212.5kg second was enough to extend her own total junior world record to 505kg and put her 7.5 kilos ahead.
With everything on the line at final deads, Vainauskyte pulled 210kg for the junior total WR and the lead. Fanton next and her 212.5kg took the total world record and pole position, pushing the Lithuanian lifter down to second. But here’s Clara Peyraud, looking calm and focussed. 218kg on the bar for the junior deadlift world record as well as the total WR and, more importantly, to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. The bar broke the floor and she screamed her victory at the top. Clara Peyraud is, once again, junior European champion.