It’s medal mania for state team at titles

TASMANIA has a swag of medals after the 2019 Masters Olympic weightlifting championships.

The state team of nine lifters came away with a total of 22 medals — six gold, 12 silver and four bronze.

Michael Pickrell, Tasmanian Masters champion and ranked first in Australia in the 67kg bodyweight category, won three gold medals and set a Tasmanian record of 188kg combined lift, while Mick Burton, state senior and Masters record holder, and ranked third in Australia in the 102kg category, took three gold medals with a combined lift of 203kg.

Last weekend’s event, held over three days, hosted the largest international Masters Olympic weightlifting competition of the year, combining the Commonwealth, Pacific Rim and Oceania Championships. It attracted teams from South Africa, Canada, Japan, India, Malaysia, Singapore, and New Zealand, plus a host of Pacific island nations.

Masters weightlifting has a large participation rate internationally with a world championship and many major events on all continents. In this event there were more than 200 competitors ranging in age from 35 to 83.

Team coach Leo Isaac, president of Weightlifting Tasmania, was delighted with the team’s performance and with the fact that Masters participation in Tasmania is increasing across all ages.

Facilities dedicated to the sport are in Launceston, Burnie, Devonport, Ulverstone and Hobart, with the next local event scheduled for July 27 in Launceston.