At the Athabasca Cup Olympic weightlifting competition last Saturday, Athabasca’s sole representative, 17-year-old Jessica McKenna, set a personal best and qualified for provincials.
McKenna’s personal best was a clean and jerk lift of 47 kilograms in the 75-kilogram female weight class.
“I had attempted it in practice, but I had never actually finished the lift, so I was very happy with that lift — that I completed it,” said McKenna.
She also lifted 41 and 45 kilograms via clean and jerk leading up to the 47-kilogram lift.
“Basically all three lifts, she did good and strong lifts,” said Athabasca Weightlifting coach and meet director Michael Mountford.
Each competitor had a minute to complete each lift and a maximum of three attempts.
The clean and jerk is one of two Olympic lifts; the other is the snatch. Mountford said the snatch is the more technical of the two lifts, requiring lifters to get very low beneath the weight. McKenna struggled a bit with the snatch, completing the first lift of 32 kilograms, but not lifting the subsequent two weights.
“I think it is mainly because (the snatch) is the first lift,” said McKenna. “I’ve never competed before, so just to be on a different platform in a different area that I’m not used to practising in … I think nerves got the best of me, and I just kind of forgot my technique,” she said.
The meet was held at the Nancy Appleby Theatre, while McKenna typically trains at the multiplex.
“I wouldn’t say that necessarily her snatch lift is bad,” said Mountford. Still, he added, “I’d rather have a lifter who’s much stronger in clean and jerk.
“That way with the clean and jerk, you can always come back and win the competition,” he explained.
Competitors win for lifting the highest combined total weight with the two styles of lift.
“You get three chances (with each style of lift), and you have to guess right — and that’s the coach’s job, to pick the right weight for the athlete,” said Mountford, adding that his strategy is to pick a starting weight that he knows the athlete can lift, and then shoot for personal bests after that.
The only other woman in McKenna’s weight class, Samantha Schulz from Edmonton, placed first and set a provincial record. However, Schulz is three years older than McKenna and a junior (McKenna is a youth).
Mountford said overall, the event was a success, drawing 19 competitors from across northern Alberta.
“Everyone was very happy with the site, and afterwards I was getting thanked by the lifters for the competition and everything that we had provided to them,” said Mountford.
“I think it was just a good experience to have because I do plan on continuing after high school into university weightlifting, which would be more competitive,” said McKenna of her first competition.
Although she qualified for provincials — and although Mountford believes she could very well win gold her category — McKenna will not be attending, as she is going to Belize with the Rotary Club of Athabasca youth branch, the Interact Club, to complete a service project when the event is scheduled (in mid-November).
Mountford said Athabasca Weightlifting, which just celebrated its 10th anniversary, will likely host another meet in December.
