KIAN FIGHTING ON TWO FRONTS
Young weightlifter has exams and Olympics on horizon
BARNHILL Community High sixth former Kian Panjavi is used to the heavy load of A-level studies but is now weighing up the prospect of Olympic glory.
Panjavi recently won a silver medal for weightlifting at the 2015 Commonwealth Youth Games, but is now attempting to ace his A-levels while training for future success.
The 17-year-old, from Hayes, trains three times a week regularly and steps that up to five or six sessions in the run-up to competition, but knows that his education requires his full attention as well.
He said: “It can be a challenge to manage my training and also study for my A-levels as I tend to be so busy with one or the other.
“Thankfully, so far my competitions have been during the school holidays, so right now I can fully concentrate on my studying.
“I am hoping to gain my level two qualification in weightlifting coaching, but I have to wait until next July before I can do this as you have to be 18. I am also going to be training and preparing for the 2020 Olympics, as I believe by then I will be at my peak in my weightlifting career.”
Typically, a weightlifter will hit their peak between 22 and 28 and if Panjavi continues his current progress there is no reason why Barnhill could not have an Olympic gold medalist on their hands. The youngster has had a highly successful season, qualifying for the Commonwealth and European Youth Games and gained a placement at the British Youth Championships, where he ended up winning the Youth Lifter 2015 title.
Panjavi knows that his success is down to his commitment and rigorous training regime.
He said: “My coach writes me a full training programme about two months before the competition. I am also put on a special diet to make sure I’m the right weight for the competition weigh-in. For the Commonwealth Games, I had to lose 4kg.”
The weightlifting starlet is coached by his father Kazem Panjavi, a former Olympian, giving him a natural route into the sport.
Panjavi added: “My whole family are into weightlifting so I have grown up with it.
“My older sister began training before I was even born and my dad has achieved plenty of gold medals in the Asian, Iranian, British and English championships.”