Author Jo Whiteley
59kg
It was great to hear the home crowd support for Dariusz Wszola (POL) in the 59kg class. A veteran of the sport, he’s been lifting both classic and equipped for 20 years now. His main opponent here was current world champion, Antoine Garcia (FRA) who was on good form, pulling out a 7.5kg lead on squats. Wszola though opened his bench with an easy 137.5kg – more than most in the weight class above! – which put him 10kg ahead of Garcia going into deadlift. Garcia was always going to come back strong on deadlift and, sure enough, he streaked ahead with a massive 242.5kg to become European champion for the first time.
66kg
We had drama from the outset in the 66kg class when Panagiotis Tarinidis of France did not get the opportunity to attempt his opening squat. Twice he was asked by the chief referee to rack the bar, presumably for not standing erect, and the clock ran down on him. He retreated from the platform shaking his head in dismay.
Pana looked focused as he came out again for 242.5kg with nothing on the board. He got the squat command but no! His hips rose early, he tipped forward and no lift! This was not how we expected things to go.
Meanwhile, Alvaro Fernandez Arcas of Spain was having a great scrap with Valentin Fruchard (FRA). They both attempted 227.5kg for their third – Arcas went first and moved it well. Fruchard next and it moved just as easily but Fruchard was heavier so did not move past.
The roof came off the hall as the crowd roared Pana onto the platform for his 3rd attempt at 242.5kg. Careful descent and the king of grind slowly brought the bar back to the top. But a groan ran around the hall when three red lights shone out. Two red cards indicating a lack of depth and one blue for lockout. The jury can’t get involved when it’s a unanimous decision and that meant that Pana was out of the competition. And does that put him out of Sheffield too?
On bench, Fruchard was just a little ahead of Arcas but there was really hardly anything in it. With Tarinidis out of the running, the stakes were suddenly higher and the tension started to build again when Fruchard missed 155kg for his second and third. Arcas looked unstoppable though and ultimately took bench gold and extended a tiny lead with a solid 150kg press.
Arcas was in the midst of a perfect day and, in a situation where a missed lift was a lost title, he hit nine good lifts. Nominated in fourth and competing at his first international, what a story he takes home along with a chest full of medals. Score one to Team Spain!
74kg
The 74s were absolutely stacked with only 10kg separating the top five on nominations.
Paul Rembauville (FRA) started strong with heaviest opener at 260kg but this ended up being his only successful squat and Dawid Kawka (POL) eventually moved past with a well judged 262.5kg for his third.
Eddie Berglund of Sweden came into his own on bench. He was in 4th place after squats but his 205kg opener shot him nearly 50kg into the lead. He took two swings at 212kg to extend his own world record and went into deadlift with a 32kg advantage that looked hard to beat.
Meanwhile, Alexander Eriksson (SWE) climbed the rankings – in 6th place after squats, his 185kg moving him up to 3rd place, only 2.5kg behind Kawka. Rembauville slipped back to 4th after bench, but his 305kg opening deadlift rocketed him into the lead once again.
Berglund’s 2nd deadlift put him in front but Eriksson jumped half a kilo ahead with 295kg. Rembauville took 312.5kg to regain the lead but only by 2.5kg and we went into the final round with 3 lifters lining up a run at the European title.
Berglund was the first of them and he nailed 272.5kg for a 739.5kg total, setting the benchmark for the rest. Eriksson’s second pull of 295kg had looked super easy and for his third he went after 307.5kg to snatch first place by half a kilo. It shot up but he couldn’t keep hold of the bar, and it dropped out of his hands, leaving him with the bronze medal. The last pull of the day was 322.5kg for Rembauville but it was not to be and Eddie Berglund was, once again, European Champion.
The championship moves forward with the top three lifters in this class taking the top three spots in the best lifter contest, demonstrating the depth of competition and how hard fought this victory really was.
57kg
In the 57kg class, Britain’s Bobbie Butters gave us a squat masterclass. Her technique and attempt selection are always absolutely on point and she demonstrated this perfectly by moving her own world record up to 185.5kg. Butters is a phenomenal bencher too and she took another gold here with 112.5kg, incidentally a British record.
Alessandro Cernigliaro (ITA) and Sopiko Kvantchiani (GEO) were pretty evenly matched at sub-total with Cernigliaro on 255kg and Kvantchiani only 5kg behind. Butters though was in a class of her own with 298kg and her opening deadlift of 172.5kg put her out of reach of anyone else. A rare mistake cost her her second deadlift but she re-took it successfully, giving her a 483kg total and the lead in best lifter comeptition with 113.55 GL points.
Kvantchiani could not improve on her 160kg deadlift opener which left Cernigliaro to sail 20kg clear for 430kg and the silver medal.
63
The 63kg class was all about the rivalry between two team mates – Chiara Bernardi and Sara Naldi, both of Italy. They have faced off so many times already and the balance has swung back and forth. Naldi held all the strategic cards at this one with lighter bodyweight and higher lot number but there really wasn’t much in it.
They marched in lockstep on squats. 170kg .. 180kg … but on third attempts, Naldi forged ahead, taking squat gold with 187.5kg ahead of Bernardi’s 185kg.
Lulova Radostina (BUL) and Signe Belden (NOR) fought briefly over the squat bronze but ultimately, Belden nailed it with her third at 177.5kg.
Bernardi opened high on bench – 112.5kg – only 2.5kg down on her competition best, but it moved well. Belden closed the gap to Naldi a little more with every bench but missed 115kg to match her at sub-total. Bernardi missed 122.5kg for her 3rd but she still had a 10kg lead over Naldi going into deadlifts with Belden only 5kg further back.
Bernardi was first out for 197.5kg and her game plan went right out of the window when she gave it a wobble at the top, drawing two blue cards. Naldi’s 202.5kg response was fast and put her in pole position. Undeterred – or maybe with no other options on the table if she wanted to stay ahead – Bernardi went up to 207.5kg for her second. It was scrappy but it went all the way and put her back in the lead. But here’s Naldi for 212.5kg and the gap closes to a bare 5kg.
After some jockeying for position and full use of 3rd round attempt changes on deadlift, Bernardi came out for 215kg. It was well judged lift, putting Bernardi on 517.5kg and giving Naldi a 225kg mountain to climb to take the win.
The bar leapt from the floor but then slipped out of her hands and, as her coach fell to his knees with his head in his hands, Naldi had to concede the title and settle for silver with Belden taking bronze.
Bernardi dropped into the Best Lifter race a fraction behind Bobbie Butters with 113.55 GL points, pushing Tiff Chapon down to third and giving Team Italy its first win in the women’s competition.