Hoping to continue his success
JOSH Homersham’s first year as an Olympicstyle weightlifter was a successful one — now he is looking for a repeat of that.
Having returned to focus on the sport after a year of Cross Fit, the now 19yearold claimed an Oceania championships silver medal in the youth — 17 years old and under — grade in 2015.
Three years later he is setting out to do the same thing in the junior — 20 years and under — grade.
He leaves for this year’s Oceania championships in New Caledonia on June 23. The competition begins two days later and runs until June 30.
Set to compete in the 85kg category, he is the only junior male in the New Zealand team.
He said he was excited to have been selected, having only found out eight weeks before the competition he had made it.
‘‘It’s been a goal of mine for the last couple of years.
‘‘It requires heaps of training, so being selected, it was a really good feeling.’’
His goal was to return with another medal and also hit his competition personal bests.
Those were a 115kg snatch and a 140kg clean and jerk.
He said it would likely be a close competition between those vying for the second, third and fourth places.
However, he was entering with confidence.
His Oceania medal was not his only championship success.
He has won a handful of national medals and also holds five junior Otago records.
In the 94kg class he holds all three records — snatch, clean and jerk and total — and holds the clean and jerk and total in the 85kg class.
A lot of training was required to get there, though.
Homersham would typically do nine sessions a week at the Otago Weightlifting Club.
On top of that he worked parttime as a gym instructor in Dunedin.
New Zealand will send a team of 32 to the event and has lifters in both the male and female sections of the youth, junior and senior grades.
All grades have at least six New Zealand representatives in both genders, except for junior male.
Among the others in the team was Commonwealth Games gold medallist David Liti.
Liti has become a popular figure since his win on the Gold Coast and will compete in the senior men’s 105+kg category.