Rural Olds resident Zachery Latimer won a bronze medal and set two Alberta records in his age and weight class during the Canadian Junior National Olympic-style Weightlifting Championships.
Rural Olds resident Zachery Latimer won a bronze medal and set two Alberta records in his age and weight class during the Canadian Junior National Olympic-style Weightlifting Championships.
He was the top lifter from Alberta at the competition with a Sinclair rating of 275. The Sinclair coefficient is a way to compare athletes in different Olympic weightlifting classes.
The competition was held in Brossard, Que. on Jan. 14.
Lifting in the 69 kilogram (kg) weight class, Latimer, 17, won his medal with lifts of 90 kg in the snatch and 115 kg in the clean and jerk, for a total of 205 kg.
His clean and jerk lift of 115 kg and his total of 205 kg are new records for Alberta youth 17 years old and younger in the 69 kg weight class.
This was his first opportunity to go to Junior Nationals and was a great learning experience.
Eighty-one junior athletes age 20 years old or younger from seven provinces across Canada qualified to compete in this competition.
Latimer is now training for the 2017 Alberta Senior Provincial Weightlifting Championships which take place Jan. 28 in Edmonton, because his records and weightlift totals have enabled him to qualify to compete at that level.
In addition to training at his home outside Olds, Latimer also trains at a club in Edmonton.
He is coached by his father, Bryan Latimer, and former five-time Canadian weightlifting champion Brent Garrett of Edmonton. Garrett could not be reached for comment by press time.
Alberta Weightlifting Association president Kevin Zimmerman is impressed with Latimer.
He says over time, Latimer has managed to hold six provincial records in two different weight classes.
"Zachary is making very steady progress and improves his totals in every competition he enters. He is a dedicated athlete who trains hard to improve his lifting and totals. He is technically proficient and has a bright future in the sport," Zimmerman says.
Latimer says he and his coaches were expecting him to finish third or thereabouts "because the two people who beat me are pretty good. They've been lifting a long time."
Latimer figures he'll hold his own in the Senior Provincials.
"I shouldn't do too bad, I guess. There are a few people who are around my weight that I'm lifting, so I should probably get third or fourth," he says.
Latimer got into weightlifting only recently. He used to be a hockey player but had to leave that sport after suffering a couple of concussions.
"It's just really fun and I guess I can relate to my dad, because he used to do it," he says.
