On July 22-29, European Weightlifting Championship among young boys and girls U15 and 17, was held in Milan, Italy. In the tournament, which are attended by about 400 athletes from more than 40 countries, the members of Azerbaijan National team got on the platform. Members of our national team were able to represent our country decently by performing greatly, and could put their names in our sport history. It was once again proven that the great victory won in Prishtina, Kosovo’s capital a year ago, was not accidental and was further developed as a result of purposeful activity. The younger generation of the Azerbaijan weightlifting once again showed that they are the best and the strongest in Europe, and demonstrated to the world that the foundation of future success is firmly established. The achievement got in Milan is also the result and embodiment of the state attention and care shown to our sport.
Great Victories!
Firstly, one member of National team-Elvin Shukurzadeh got on the platform. In snatch, he won the title of European junior silver medalist with 78 kg result among U-15 boys, in 50kg weight category. In the final rankings of European Championship, Shukurzadeh was 4th with a total of 173kg (78+95) result. However, it should be noted that he was left behind with only 1 kg.
In 50kg weight category, Omar Javadov tested his power among U-17 boys. The athlete won gold medal with 88kg result in snatch. He continued the same success in clean and jerk and was silver medalist with a total of 102kg result in this movement. Omar Javadov won the title of European champion with a total of 190kg (88+102) result.
In 56kg weight category, Fuad Hasanov and Elshan Mammadov competed among U-15 boys. Fuad Hasanov took the 2nd place in snatch with 92kg result. In clean and jerk, he won silver medal with 110kg result. In the final rankings of European Championship, Fuad was silver medalist with a total of 202kg (92+110) result.
Elshan Mammadov, who won a bronze medal in the European championship in Prishtina, Kosovo last year, got on the highest step of the honorary chair this time. He was named the best of Europe with 98kg result in snatch and 114kg result in clean and jerk. Mammadov got on the highest step of honorary chair with a total of 212kg (98+114) result in the final rankings of European Championship.
In 62kg weight category, Murad Aliyev achieved gold medal among U-15 boys.he surpassed all his opponents with 100kg result in snatch, and with 118kg result in clean and jerk. Murad Aliyev, who was named the best of Europe, got on the highest step of honorary chair with a total of 218kg (100+118) result.
Rustam Gasimov tested his power among U-17 boys, in 62kg weight category. Rustam Gasimov, bronze medalist of 2016 European Youth Championship, gold medalist in 2017, successfully performed all three attempts in snatch. In this movement, Gasimov got small silver medal with 117kg result and in clean and jerk he took 6th place with 137kg result. In the final rankings, Rustam was 5th with a total of 254kg (111+135) result.
The member of National team-Fugan Aliyev, the winner of European Youth Championship held in Novy Tomisl, Poland, in 2016, tested his power among U-17 boys, in 69kg weight category.Our athlete took the 4th place in snatch with 120kg result. Aliyev, who performed well in clean and jerk, was able to become Europe’s third with 151kg result in this movement.In the final rankings of European Championship, Fugan was bronze medalist with a total of 271kg (120+151) result.
In 94kg weight category, Ali Shukurlu got on the platform among U-15 boys. He was bronze medalist with 120kg result in snatch, and 145kg result in clean and jerk. It should be noted that despite Ali lifted 152kg in his 3rd attempt of this movement, the referees did not count the attempt. In the final rankings of 94kg weight category, Ali Shukurlu could get on the honorary chair taking the 3rd place with a total of 265kg (120+145) result.
https://youtu.be/PlxqF-fnpBE
Last member of National team-Tarmenkhan Babayev joined the struggle. He was champion among U-17 boys, in 94kg weight category. Last year, Tarmenkhan Babayev, who was the champion renewing 6 European records in Prishtina, Kosovo, repeated this success again! In snatch, our athlete won silver medal with 145kg result. In clean and jerk, he surpassed all his competitors and achieved gold medal with 180kg result. In the final rankings, Tarmenkhan won the title of two-times winner of the European championship, getting on the highest step of honorary chair with a total of 325kg (145+180) result in 94kg weight category.
https://youtu.be/RVUcfvdOmok
So, National Youth team could represent Azerbaijan decently winning 22 medals, including a total of 4 gold, 1silver and 2 bronze medals.
Record results!
There are many things that make the medals won by young weightlifters even more valuable. So, weights lifted by our several athletes are the best in the history of Azerbaijan. About 100 years, in this age group, anyone could not raise the weights which Omar Javadov and Rustam Gasimov lifted in snatch and Tarmenkhan Babayev lifted in clean and jerk. Youth who competed and succeeded in Milan are undoubtedly the greatest champions of the future. They proved this by their persistence, as well as their results.
Azerbaijan at the top of Europe!
The scene that appears after the disclosure of the results of young weightlifters U-15 is simply proud. Last year, Azerbaijan National team, which surpassed all competitors in the European Championship in Prishtina, Kosovo’s capital, was able to demonstrate its strength at the team account this time. National team joined the struggle with only 8 athletes in 50, 56, 62, 77 and 94 kg weight categories. At the same time, Azerbaijan won the title of European champion at the team account gaining 550 points. This means that we are the strongest, most promising team that gives the greatest hope for the future. Fantastic result!
The success of our girls should also be noted. A strong and promising generation is growing in our women weightlifting which has suffered from shortage of athletes for many years. This once again confirmed in Milan. Recent work done by the Azerbaijan Weightlifting Federation, the created conditions, the propaganda and campaign activities, and the numerous steps have given its effect in the European Championship. U-15 girls including 7 persons joined the struggle in 44, 48, 53, 58, 63, 69kg weight categories. In Europe, National women team took the 3rd place at the team account gaining 409 points. Our national team left behind only the Italian and Turkish colleagues. Indeed, the spectacular, exceptional, exciting result!
Our boys achieved great success by winning 6 gold, 4 silver and 3 bronze medals. With this result, our team could become Europe’s 2nd strongest team at the medal account.
The struggle became even more interesting because of having license character of U-17 young male athletes competition. In this age group, our team took the 4th place with 471 points ( 4 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze medals). Recall that, last year, our athletes in this age group could not win a medal in the European Championship in Kosovo. Only a year later, this success is the result of the proper conduct of work and purposeful activities.
The total number of medals won by our young weightlifter U15 and17 has been 22 medals, which is a record. In this regard, Azerbaijan was the second after Turkey that won 25 medals.
Weightlifting is developing!
The winning of above-mentioned results, especially without doping by young athletes has to be highlighted. The fight of AZE WF against doping is getting stronger in each passing day. In Azerbaijan, doping scandal is prevented as a result of many seminars, increasing number of examination, paying special attention to nutrition and vitaminization issues, giving insight to training, prioritizing scientific bases, improving the conditions for training and preparation, uninterrupted organization internal and external training-camps under the guidance of experienced professionals, repairing, restoration and putting into operation of weightlifting halls and complexes in the capital and regions, improvement of physical wellbeing of athletes in all ages and etc. The Federation’s leadership proves its support to a healthy struggle. The most striking example of this is the simplification of the sentence, given to 9 countries, for Azerbaijan according to the results of the re-examination of athletes’ analysis taken in the 2008 and the 2012 Summer Olympic Games of the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) on June 20. The anti-doping activity of AZE WF has been praised by the International Weightlifting Federation, and has been shown as example to others. As a result, our youth got the right to compete in the European Championship in Milan. The result is obvious.
Target: Buenos Aires and Las Vegas!
The results recorded in the European Championship in Milan give us reason to believe that in the upcoming years, our youth and juniors are able to conquer larger peaks. Azerbaijan athletes will try to surpass competitors, win medals, and even to score high points on team and medal accounts in the World Youth Championship to be held in Las-Vegas, USA, on March 8-15, 2019. There is no doubt that they are capable of doing so. The main event of this year is the 3rd Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Azerbaijan, which included the top ten world’s strongest teams in the World Championship held in Bangkok, Thailand last April, even could win the license for the Olympic Games. This was the first license won for this competition from our country in all sport types. At present, we have several candidates for representing Azerbaijan properly with this license. The results in the European Championship in Milan mean that we can return to homeland with gold medal from Buenos-Aires. We have great hope and confidence to this.
Thanks!
The victory in Milan which will be written with golden letters to Azerbaijan weightlifting history will also find its place in the sports chronicles of our country. As a result of such success, the foundation of future victories is established. We thank everyone who has contributed to this wonderful championship – athletes, coaches, technical staff, and leadership for their great joy. Congratulations to all the sports, especially weightlifting fans, in general, the Azerbaijan people on this victory. The voice of our teens, who are the best European weightlifting team, will always come from peaks, thanks to unforgettable victories, our success will always be applauded and deserved.
