Auothor: Jo Whiteley
69kg class
Ivana Horna (SLK) took an early lead in the 69kg class when incoming European champion, Marte Kjenner (NOR) struggled for depth. Raphaela Jungmann of Austria missed her opener for the same reason but came back strong to take the squat bronze with 185kg. Marika Zandecka (POL) on home turf claimed the silver medal with a comfortable looking 190kg.
Kjenner benched 120kg to take command of the competition along with the bench gold. This put Horna and Kjenner neck and neck on 302.5kg at sub-total with a three-way tussle 10kg behind them between Jungmann, Zandecka and GBR’s Annie Nelson.
As soon as we got into deadlifts Horna started to stretch out her lead over Kjenner and finished a perfect day with a European record deadlift at 230.5kg and a 533kg total. Kjenner missed her last deadlift but was too far ahead of the rest of the pack to be caught and she took the silver with 520kg.
The battle for the bronze medal went all the way. Jungmann led after the first round of deadlifts but Nelson pulled 207.5kg to take a 2.5kg lead over the other two in the second round which would ultimately net her the overall bronze.
Great lifting, great competition, great entertainment.
76kg class
The lead in the 76kg class shifted constantly. Emily Bennett (GBR) looked great on squats, taking the gold medal with a solid 187.5kg. Lea Schreiner (GER) and Stine Hamre (NOR) were only 2.5kg behind, both squatting 185kg, Schreiner taking the silver with lighter bodyweight.
Schreiner jumped into the lead with her opening bench and managed to stay there throughout bench. At sub-total, she was on 295kg but Sara Sanchez-Manjavacas Ruiz (ESP) had crept up to second place, only 5kg back. Hamre though was under pressure from Brit, Sophia Ellis, who took the bench gold with 122.5kg and had slid past on bodyweight.
The big shock on bench was the exit of Nino Tchrikishvili (GEO) after she failed to put up a successful bench. It just looked too heavy, even from the outset.
Ellis rocketed into first place with an opening deadlift of 220kg that set the stage for what she was out to achieve and pushing Schreiner down to second place.
Ellis took a fast 230kg for her second and clearly had plenty of reserves left for her final lift. Schreiner pulled 217.5kg for her third and it was just enough to stay ahead of Ruiz and keep the silver medal.
Already European Champion and free from challenge, Ellis took 240.5kg to extend her own European deadlift record and close out a perfect nine for nine run with a 528kg total.
This pushed Team GBR ahead of France for the first team in the team competition with two weight classes still to go!