Gold medallist might miss out
OCEAN Grove weightlifter Elaine Janes would like to turn her attention to the Australian Powerlifting Masters in August after breaking three Victorian records at last month’s weightlifting championships.
But the full-capacity competitor list and her inability to qualify means one of Australia’s strongest in her age group might miss out.
The 72-year-old broke records in the snatch (23kg), clean and jerk (27kg) and the total (50kg) in the female masters 70-74 category to take home three gold medals and a trophy from the Oceanic event in Melbourne in late May.
But Janes, who started weightlifting when she was 57, has got new targets set as she eyes more records in the powerlifting game.
“I’d like to do a powerlifting competition because I still do those lifts (squad, dead lift) at least once a week,” she said.
“(But) we’ve already contacted them and they’re full. In August there’s an Australian Powerlifting Masters Championships in Hawthorn and I was told to do it.”
But because Janes hasn’t competed in a powerlifting event, she hasn’t qualified for the August championships.
Janes has competed all around the world in her 15 years in the sport, including at five world championships, but said her pension was “running dry” and she would only look at competing in Victoria if the opportunity came up again.
That chance arose in May, when she joined five other athletes at the Oceanic championships.
In other results at the Oceanic Championships, Lou Webb ranked No.1 in the 90kg 55-59 age division, Ben Silva won the 69kg 50-54 age division, Monika Endres won the 53kg 40-44 age group and Aaron Phillips won the 105+kg 35-39 age division.