Hassle Free BBC

American Open Videos now available on the Hassle Free YouTube Channel

Check out the Hassle Free lifters at the recent American Open in Mobile, AL.  Go to the Hassle Free YouTube channel and search for your favorite lifter:

http://www.youtube.com/user/HassleFreeBBC?feature=mhee

  

Chioma Amaechi Lights up Paris

Hassle Free BBC lifter and Cal Sophomore Chioma Amaechi recently traveled to Paris as part of Team USA's 14-member delegation at this year's World Weightlifting Championships. Chioma finished in 14th place with a 98kg Snatch, 140kg Clean & Jerk for 238kg total in the +75kg weight class. Chioma's 14th place finish turned out to be the second best performance by an American athlete and is a big step in her journey to make the 2012 US Olympic Team. To give you an idea of the level of Chioma's competition, the Gold medal winner in the women's +75kg class finished with a 146kg Snatch, 182kg C&J, 328kg total. Congratulations Chioma!

For Team USA only results - http://weightlifting.teamusa.org/news/2011/11/05/world-championships-results-from-paris/45356

For complete results - http://www.iwf.net/

Hassle Free's Vang and Wilson are outstanding at the Junior World Championships in Penang, Malaysia

 

 
 
Sae Vang had an outstanding performance representing USA Weightlifting at this year's Junior World Championships being held in Penang Malaysia. Sae missed his first Snatch attempt, but fought back to make his next five lifts for a 242kg total. Sae set personal records in the Snatch (105kg) and Total (242kg) on his way to a 15th place finish. Congratulations Sae!

Also representing Hassle Free and USAW was Ian WIlson. The well traveled Wilson, barely home from his Silver medal performance in Peru, matched his Youth World performance with a 320kg total. Ian improved his Snatch to 146kg and finished with a 174kg C&J. Ian finished 14th, but it's important to note that Ian is just 17, competing against the best 20&U athletes in the world. Ian was, by far, the youngest among 20 competitors in the 94kg weight class and has 3 more years competing at the Junior level. Look for big things from Ian in the next several years. Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of Ian from Penang.

Next up for Hassle Free is Chioma Amaechi lifting tomorrow, Wednesday, in the +75kg class. Check back tomorrow for Chioma's results.

 

Cai and Tiongson lead Hassle Free to 9 Medals at 2011 School Age Nationals

 

Another year and a bunch more medals for Hassle Free BBC at this year's USAW School Age National Championships held last weekend in Flowery Branch, Georgia. Cathy Cai and Maria-Heilsyme Tiongson led the way, each winning Gold as part of Hassle Free's 9-medal bounty. Silver medals went to Michelle Cai, Helena Viets, and Deanna Zheng, and Bronze going to Inez Vara, Akiko Green, Cheray Piper, and Ian Howerton. Hassle Free sent 19 athletes to this year's championships with half coming back with medals. Many of these athletes were lifting in their first National event and almost everyone established personal records. Congratualtions to all the lifters!

For the complete set of results go to: Download 2011_National_School_Age_Results_USAW

Check out the Picture Gallery at: 2011 School Age Nationals Picture Gallery

For Videos go to: Hassle Free BBC YouTube Channel  

Hassle Free's Ian Wilson Wins Silver on the World Stage

Hassle Free BBC's 17-year-old Ian Wilson became the first U.S. athlete ever to win a medal at the Youth World Championships on Saturday when he earned a silver medal in the 94kg (206.8lbs) division in Lima, Peru.

A gold medalist at the 2010 Pan American U17 Championships, Wilson struggled in the snatch portion of the competition. Wilson needed two attempts to complete his 140kg (308lbs) lift. On his final attempt, Wilson added five kilograms (11lbs) to the bar which would have earned him second place in the snatch portion of the event in which medals are awarded for the best snatch and clean and jerk lifts as well as the total score. Wilson missed the lift that would have tied his PR and finished the snatch in fifth place.

Although Wilson was in fifth place, only three kilograms separated the two-time Youth World Team member from second place and he was determined to make up ground in the clean and jerk. Wilson began with the second heaviest opening lift of 171kg (376.2lbs) behind Alexey Kosov (RUS) who had set a new Youth World Record of 172kg (378.4lbs) in the snatch and had already earned a 29kg (63.8lbs) lead on his opponents going into the clean and jerk portion of the event.

Wilson dropped his second attempt of 180kg (396lbs) and knew he needed to finish the lift on his final attempt to stay in medal contention. Not only did Wilson complete the lift to move ahead of Changsheng Wu (CHN) and Emad Baheri (IRI), but Wu couldn’t hold onto his final attempt at 181kg (398.2lbs) which meant Wilson would win silver medals in both the snatch and the total. Wilson’s final lift also put him just a kilogram behind Kosov’s best clean and jerk result.

Overall, Wilson totaled 320kg (704lbs) and would bring two medals back to the United States.

 
 
Also representing the USA was Hassle Free's Michele Cai, lifting the in the 75kg weight class. Michele got 3 personal records and finsihed 10th among the best 17&U lifters in the World. Our own Kevin Doherty was representing the USA as the Women's coach. Also on hand, pictured above, is Ian's dad, Eric Wilson.

 

Vang and Lam break PWA Records

Sae Vang and Jenny Lam both had outstanding meets recently at the PWA School Age Championships held in Sacramento, CA.

Jenny Lam, coming back from an elbow injury, had a great meet going 6 for 6.  More impressive was breaking the PWA Junior records in the Snatch, C&J, and Total. Jenny had a 56kg snatch, a 76kg C&J, and 132kg Total.

 

Sae Vang, lifting in the 69kg weight class had the one of the best lifts of his young career with PWA Junior Record C&J of 141kg. Along with the record, Sae was 6 for 6 for the day with a 103kg Snatch for a 244kg total. Sae is among the select few representing the USA at the Junior World Championships being held in Penang, Malaysia starting on June 28.

 
Cocongratulations to Jenny and Sae!

For complete 2011 PWA School Age Championship Results:

http://www.lifttilyadie.com/Results/11PWASAChp.htm

Hassle Free's David Garcia sets new American Collegiate Record

 
 

Lifting for Hassle Free BBC and University of California – Davis, reigning National Collegiate Champion David Garcia placed second overall at the 2011 Collegiate Nationals in Shreveport, but won the clean and jerk with his lift of 195kg. The lift set a new American Collegiate Record, breaking Cody Gibbs’s (Shreveport, La.) mark of 193kg from the 2007 National Collegiate Championships. David was very conservative in the Snatch as he continues to rehab an injured elbow, making 135 for an outstanding 330kg total. Do you think Coach Doherty was exited? Check out the coach in the background. Congratulations David.

 

Also representing HF and Consumes River College was Keylin Mackey lifting in the 94kg weight class. Keylin finished 4th with a 135kg Snatch and 155kg C&J for a 285kg total. He made a 160kg C&J, but unfortunately as the picture below shows the clock had run out and the lift was not allowed.

 
Rounding out the Hassle Free team were Ben Claridad (Sac State) finishing 6th in the 105kg class with an outstanding 302kg total, Austin Gwaltney (Sierra College)  went 3 for 6 with a 223kg total, and Erich Gebeault (Sac State) also went 3 for 6 with 210 total.

Congratulations to all the Hassle Free Lifters.

For Complete Results - http://assets.teamusa.org/assets/documents/attached_file/filename/40961/2011NatCollStartWeighScoreResultFinal.pdf

 

Hassle Free and Cal Strength bring out the Big Guns at PWA Championships

 
  
Kevin Doherty and Hassle Free BBC hosted this year's Pacific Weightlifting Association (PWA) Championships at Lincoln High School in San Francisco. The meet was a great success, highlighted by the last men's session which featured 7 current or previous USA World Team members.  Included in the last session, returning after many months of rehab were Donovan Ford and David Garcia. Both are getting back into competitive shape and made great comebacks.

Arguably the biggest lift of the meet was the last lift, a 204kg C&J from Cal Strength's Donny Shankle.

 

Check out the Videos of HF Lifters at:  http://www.youtube.com/user/HassleFreeBBC#p/u

Pictures at: http://hasslefree.smugmug.com/Weightlifting/2011-PWA-Championships/16497964_fBZKT#1241675706_QWHyC

Full Results:  http://www.lifttilyadie.com/Results/11PWAChp.htm 

 

Arnold's back and so was Hassle Free

 
Hassle Free Barbell Club made it back to the 2011 Arnold Sports Festival this last weekend in Columbus, Ohio and once again received outstanding performances from it's group of young lifters. As usual former Governor Schwarzenegger made an appearance to the Weightlifting venue, making a point of reconnecting with the Hassle Free lifters in the audience. He called Paul and Kevin Doherty up to the stage to personally acknowledge their great work with young athletes in the Sacramento and San Francisco inner-city.

The Hassle Free women stood out with Cathy Cai and Michelle Cai taking 1st and 2nd overall in the Women's School Age competition. Akiko Green helped maintain the dominating performance with a 4th place finish. Chioma Amaechi followed up her Gold medal performance at the Junior Nationals 2 weeks ago, with a second place finish in the overall Junior Women's category. Both the School Age and Junior events were scored based on SInclair points with cash awards going to the first 5 places. Choima missed out on Gold by only 3 Sinclair points. Also representing the HF women were coaches Kara Doherty and Kari Shimomura. Kari didn't quite finish the way she hoped, but secured a very respectable 150kg total lifting in the 63kg weight class. Kara went 4 for 6 for a 193 total finishing 9th overall in a field of 40 of the countries best lifters.

 

Michelle Cai - 63kg Snatch

 

 

 

 

                                  Cathy Cai -  65kg Snatch

  

 

 

 

 

 

Chioma Amaechi - Attempting 135kg C&J 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Akiko Green - making 70kg C&J 

 

 

 

 

 

Kari Shimomura making 70kg Snatch

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kara Doherty making 103kg C&J, she went on to make 107kg.

 

 

 

The Hassle Free men also did a great job led by Sae Vang's outstanding performance lifting up a weight class at 69kg. He finished as the 3rd overall Junior with a 238kg total highlighted by a 137kg C&J needed to win the 69kg weight class. Take a look at the video of his winning lift.

   

A trimmed down Alex Lee, lifting in the 105kg weight class was 6 for 6 with a 290kg total. While that's down from his 310 total at the American Open, it's a clear he's back on track after his 35 lb weight loss. Alex finished 5th overall Junior. Hassle Free also brought two School Age lifters. Ian Wilson finished with multiple PR's  and a 222kg total finishing 5th overall School Age boy. Anfernee Williams had 4 PR's and finished with a 207kg total.

 

Alex Lee on his way to making a 150kg C&J. Alex went on to make 155.

 

 

 

 

 

Ian Howerton making a 123kg C&J

 

 

 

 

 

Anfernee Williams making his opening 85kg Snatch.

 

 

 

 

Maybe the best news at the Arnold was having HF star Donovan Ford back in competion following over a year of rehabilitating after shoulder surgery. The highlight was a best in weight class 188kg C&J. It's great to have Donovan back competing. Also back into competition was Coach Paul Doherty lifting in Open division in the 94kg weight class. Paul was right on plan, going 5 for 6 and a 280kg total.

 

Donovan's back, bigger than ever.

 

 

 

 

 

Coach Doherty making 125kg Snatch

 

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to all the Hassle Free lifters.

For all the pictures go to - http://hasslefree.smugmug.com/Weightlifting/Arnold-Sports-Festival-2011/16136196_SH9oG#1211484763_TXQQC

For School Age and Junior results - http://sthopecrossfit.typepad.com/Arnold_2011_Results.pdf

For Open results - http://sthopecrossfit.typepad.com/2011-Arnold-Sports-Festival-Open-Weightlifting.pdf

Hassle Free has strong showing at 2010 American Open

 
Hassle Free got outstanding performances from it's core of young lifters at this years prestigious American Open in Cincinnati, Ohio. Hassle Free is beginning to make noise beyond the Junior and School Age National events with a second place team finish for the HF Women and third place overall for the men.

Leading the women was Chioma Amaechi, taking gold in the +75kg weight class with a 216kg total. Chioma is now attending UC Berkley and her performance in Cincinnati is a strong start to the weightlifting season  after an outstanding 2010.

Kari Shimomura also had a good meet in the 63kg weight class with a 154kg total and a 6th place finish. Also lifting in the 63kg class was 17 year old Serena Felicity, finishing 10th with a 142kg total. 16 year old Michelle Cai and her twin sister Cathy, both among the youngest women lifters at this event, had strong meets. Cathy finished 6th in the 75kg class with a 159kg total and Michelle had a 143kg total in the 69kg weight class. Unfortunately, Jenny Lam, our outstanding Junior 53kg lifter, hurt her elbow on her first snatch and was not able to finish.

 

 
The men were equally up to the task with an overall 3rd place finish. Sae Vang and Ian Wilson led the charge with 18-year old Sae started things winning bronze in the 62kg weight class and a 225kg total. 16-year old Ian Wilson had an incredible meet breaking the 94kg School Age record in the Snatch (144), the C&J (182), and Total (326). Ian ended up with an impressive 4th place finish. Keylin Mackey is getting back in form and finished 5th with 286kg total in the 85kg weight class. Despite making only 2 of 6 lifts, Ben Claridad managed a formidable 295 total in the 105kg class and finished 4th. Lifting in the last session of the meet was ALex Lee. Alex lifts in the 105+ weight class and had his best meet since undergoing knee surgery by going 5 for 6, making his last 5 lifts for a 310kg total  and a 6th place finish. Congrats to all the men.

 
Complete results - http://www.lifttilyadie.com/Results/10AmOpen.htm

2010 American Open Pictures -  http://hasslefree.smugmug.com/Weightlifting/American-Open-2010/15183800_aDtQT#1135747050_nY3KC