Weightlifting: Open Championship-Record lifts for Agricole, Thélermont and Romeo Siméon |23 May 2005

Although lifters complained that they dehydrated too much inside the Omnisports Gym at Roche Caïman, Clementina Agricole, Janet Thélermont and Romeo Siméon did well to carry on the record-breaking habit in local weightlifting competitions.

Competing in the 58-kg division, Agricole, 16, was the first record breaker, snatching 66kg and then 67.5kg in her second and third attempts to improve her old junior best of 65.5kg by 2kg.

In the clean and jerk, Agricole, reigning young female athlete of the year, failed two attempts at 86kg and thus could not better her record of 85.5kg.

“I feel good after getting the snatch record. I wanted the clean-and-jerk one too, but I kind of got carried away and did not focus on what I had to do,” said Agricole, a secondary five student of Plaisance school.

Two-time and current Sportslady of the Year Thélermont approached the platform with a new record in her mind.

After easily getting 100kg over her head, she asked for the bar to be loaded at 105kg and she did the same routine with ease to improve on her 102.5kg best in the senior 75-kg division.

Even though she failed to lift 110kg in the snatch, Thélermont went home with the best female lifter title with a combined 220kg after getting a best lift of 115 in the clean-and-jerk.

Policewoman Thélermont told Sports Nation that she was “satisfied with my performance although a pulled muscle stopped me from lifting 128kg in an attempt to break my clean-and-jerk record (127.5kg).”

Romeo Siméon was able to motivate himself in time for the championship after reading in the latest issue of Regar that he was back in the sport after being banned for doping.  The article mistakenly wrote his name instead that of his brother Charles.

“It’s demoralising to see your name being tarnished or associated to something you’ve not done and which doesn’t concern you.

I’ve been training hard since the start of the year, but when I came across this article, I told myself I wouldn’t participate in the championship. The other lifters encouraged me to compete and I’m happy I’ve got a new Seychelles record,” said Romeo Siméon, whose younger brothers Charles was hit with a two-year suspension by the International Weightlifting Federation for failing a drugs test.

Romeo Siméon, who also told Sports Nation that, being a lifter who doesn’t like settling for second or third places, he is not keen on participating in the forthcoming African Championship in Uganda in July, because he doesn’t feel he has a chance of winning the gold medal.

Voted the championship’s best male lifter, Romeo’s record came in the clean-and-jerk routine of the 69-kg category. When he got the barbells with a load of 145kg over his head in his second attempt, he had added 2kg to his previous old best of 143kg.

The following are the complete results:

Julie Matatiken 53-kg senior, (135kg in total, 60kg snatch and 75kg clean-and-jerk), Clemetina Agricole, 58-kg junior, (147.5kg in total, 67.5kg snatch and 80kg clean-and-jerk),
Christine Celeste, 63-kg junior, (100kg in total, 45kg snatch and 55kg clean-and-jerk),
Brenda Lozaique, 63-kg junior, (115kg in total, 50kg snatch and 65kg clean-and-jerk),
Janet Thélermont, 75-kg, (220kg in total, 105kg snatch and 115kg clean and jerk).
Derreck Bara, 56-kg junior, (125kg in total, 60kg snatch and 65kg clean-and-jerk), Stephan Clarisse, 69-kg junior, (192.5kg in total, 85kg snatch and 107.5kg clean-and-jerk),
Ian Rose, 69-kg junior, (175kg in total, 75kg snatch and 100kg clean-and-jerk),
Romeo Siméon, 69-kg, (255kg in total, 110kg snatch and 145kg clean-and-jerk),
Terrence Dixie 69-kg (240kg in total, 110kg snatch and 100kg clean-and-jerk),
Charles Siméon, 77-kg, (250kg in total, 100kg snatch and 150kg clean-and-jerk),
Christopher Felix, 94-kg, (210kg in total, 90kg snatch and 120kg clean-and-jerk),
Elvis Jeanne, 105-kg, (290kg in total, 130kg snatch and 160kg clean-and-jerk),
Robert Kilindo, 105-kg, (270kg in total, 125kg snatch and 145kg clean-and-jerk),
Frank Accouche, 105-kg, (270kg in total, 120kg snatch and 150kg clean-and-jerk),
Dominic Ferley, 105-kg junior, (170kg in total, 75kg snatch and 95kg clean-and-jerk).

G. G.