English lifter annihilates opposition

Press, 4 October 1982, Page 25

English lifter annihilates opposition

From 1

ROD DEW

. in Brisbane 'p , .* r ’ * *

A 20-year-old Englishman. Dean Willey, completely annihilated the opposition in the 60kg class of the Commonwealth Games weightlifting in the Chandler complex on Saturday afternoon.

His rivals had all completed their lifts in the clean and jerk before he had even started, and when he did he made no mistakes. He clean and jerked 140 kg on his first attempt, and 3min after lifted 148 kg for new Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games records. It looked an insecure lift, but the judges were satisfied. Willey’s grand total of 268 kg broke his own Commonwealth record by skg. and he also set a new Games record of 267.5 kg. He actually lifted the 268 kg in the contest, but weights are only allowed to be increased in multiples of 2.5 kg in Games competition, hence the apparent discrepancy in the two totals. Any lesser performer might have been taking a considerable risk in attempting a lift half a kilogram heavier than needed, but the young English engineer had no doubts about his ability to succeed. The 2.5 kg restriction does not apply to Commonwealth records.

Surprisingly, he decided not to bother with his final lift: "The weights felt a bit heavy at 148 kg so I decided to stop." he explained later.

Earlier in the contest, Willey snatched 120 kg, breaking both the Commonwealth and Commonwealth Games records. At the end of the contest, Willey had claimed the Commonwealth Games and British records in every category. His aggregate added 30kg to the Commonwealth Games record, held by George Vasiliades, of Australia, since 1974. But Willey was not completely satisfied: “I was hoping for something better." he said. "I had to lose 41b in bodyweight to make the grade, and this cost me a bit of strength.” Still a junior, Willey will contest the European junior championships in three weeks time, “a medal there would be nice,” he said. “The Russians and Bulgarians are ahead, but I am getting close."

The runner-up for the second Games in succession, M. T. Selvan, of India, had the satisfaction of bettering the Games records in the snatch (112.5 kg and aggregate (245 kg but he never really looked like coming to grips with the young Englishman.

Koon-Siong Chua, of Singapore, won the bronze medal with a total of 242.5 kg, coming back for a final clean and jerk of 137.5 kg after failing at 135 kg. Chua was the Commonwealth champion last year. New Zealand's Kevin Judson was fifth over all with a total of 227.5 kg, made up with a snatch of 100 kg and a clean and jerk of 127.5 kg. However, he was unlucky not to be credited with a higher total. In the clean and jerk, he twice lifted 132,5 kg above his head in what appeared to be completely legal lifts but was ruled out by the judges on both occasions. The final lift of the new Games champion, Willey, was far less secure than those of Judson. Willey staggered all over the lifting platform as he struggled to hold the 148 kg overhead, and -yet the judges ruled his lift valid.