Happy Thanksgiving! By now I hope everyone has had an extra piece of pie, more gravy on their stuffing, and eaten their bodyweight in sweet potato souffle. I especially hope that you did it with a smile on your face knowing that my cut to 69 limited me to baked vegetables and turkey.
Tonight I wanted to take some time and do a top 10 things I am thankful for. Not your normal top 10 (that comes at New Years) but the top 10 best lifts from American Weightlifters over the past year. Since the conclusion of the World Championships in Almaty, everyone has been highlighting and reposting lifts from all over the world. And rightfully so. However, let’s not forget the past year in American weightlifting. Here’s my personal top 10.
10- Kendrick Ferris University World’s American Record (Senior and University) CJ 211KG. One of the first times in a long time I have seen Kendrick step up to a big weight that he had to make for medal contention, smoke it, then see some raw emotion afterwards.
9- Syndey Goad’s 83kg CJ and 145kg Total at this year’s Youth National Championships. IF gymnastics doesn’t take her away she is the future of female American weightlifting alongside Alex Thornton. Sydney competed and medal (3rd place) in the SENIOR National Championships this year as well. AT 17 YEARS OLD!
I don’t have that CJ and can’t find it anywhere but here are her 2013 CJ attempts.
8- Caine Wilkes 182kg Snatch at the Senior National Championships. I have never seen 400lbs snatched in person. It was awesome to see such a humble guy smoke this live.
7- CJ Cummings 153kg CJ SENIOR, JUNOR, AND SCHOOL-AGE American Record CJ. He set this at the Senior National Championships this past year AT 14 YEARS OLD!
6- Sarabeth Phillips 99kg CJ at the 2014 Senior Nationals to take the silver medal overall. One of the must clutch lifts of the year for sure. After missing her opener at 96kg she would come back and make 96 then 99 for her first overall podium finish at a National event.
Sarabeth Phillips 99kg CJ USAW National Championships 2014 from Power And Grace Performance on Vimeo.
5- Connor Felstead’s 140kg CJ to secure the gold medal at the Junior National Championships. This was such a clutch lift it will forever be etched in my memory. He made 136 at his opener, missed this lift on second attempt and then had to step up to the plate to make it on his third attempt for the overall gold. This was my proudest moment as a coach all year long.
Connor 140kg Junior Nationals 2014 from Power And Grace Performance on Vimeo.
4- Lauren Fisher’s Junior Worlds Performance. At only 20 years old and training as a full-time Crossfitter she totaled 75kg and 110kg for a 185kg PR total (I think). What’s more, she was fresh off qualifying for the Crossfit Games from the So Cal Regional and smack in the middle of prepping for the Crossfit Games. Literal unprecedented combination by anyone competing in both sports. PS-she also won the Junior Nationals WITH HER OPENERS!
3- Derrick Johnson 123kg Snatch for the American Record in Snatch and later the record in total. He smoked this and was SO close to 125 it was scary. 125kg would have been a double bodyweight snatch.
2- Colin Burns 169kg Snatch for the American Record from the 94kg A Session at Worlds, background on this lift. Colin missed this lift at the Nationals earlier in the year after taking the record only for Norik Vardanian to take it back. This one was well-earned and well-deserved.
1- Caleb Williams 174kg CJ for a American Record in CJ and Total @ 69kg Bodyweight. No description necessary just watch the video. (This is 6kg over his previous American Record)