ASHGABAT 2017: Ridge Barredo has topped the 105kg weightlifting Group B competition and trumped some of Group A at Ashgabat 2017, with teammate Matthew Lydement in third place in Group B.
Barredo’s 327kg total placed him 8th overall in the 105kg category and Lydement’s finished 11th with his 300kg total.
As the most internationally experienced on the Australian weightlifting team, Barredo thrived on the pumping crowd and lifted a 3kg snatch personal best of 146kg, plus the 22-year-old cleared five out of his six lift attempts.
“I’m happy with how I went," Barredo said. “I would have liked six from six, that would have been the cherry on top, but you can’t win them all so it‘s just onto the next competition.
“I’m really happy with the 3kg snatch PB. I’ve been working for that for a while and I know I’m capable of more.”
The Sydney-sider attempted a 186kg clean and jerk in his third and final lift, which would have moved him into the International 1 Weightlifting ranking category, but he narrowly missed sticking it, giving him a clean and jerk total of 181kg.
Ashgabat 2017 was Lydement’s first time wearing the green and gold at an international competition overseas, and although he’s not heading home with the result he had in mind, he’s looking at the positives.
“I’m not exactly over the moon with my performance,” the 23-year-old said.
“The clean and jerks I’m happy with but wasn’t happy with my snatching but that’s okay because it’s all part of the experience of traveling for the first time overseas with the team.”
“I want to work on a few things with the snatch when I go home, like keeping the bar close to myself and becoming more consistent through the lift.”
Lydement recorded a snatch of 135kg and a clean and jerk of 165kg.
Uzbekistan’s Ivan Efremov was the 105kg gold medallist with a total of 411kg. Iran’s Ali Hashemi took silver with 401kg followed by Salwan Alaifuri from Iraq in third with 395kg.
Both Aussie weightlifters agree the excitement and scale of the event in the Turkmenistan capital has inspired them to push for bigger and better things.
“This was my fourth international, and compared to the others has been the best so far,” Barredo said.
“All the facilities are world class, the people here are even better and the support staff we have are fantastic.
"All the Aussie crew have been fantastic to be around and I wouldn’t change it for the world,” he said.
“The whole experience has really opened my eyes up to other things out there,” Lydement agreed.
Georgia Thompson
olympics.com.au
