Qatar claim three golds as FISU World University Weightlifting Championship concludes in Doha
DOHA : Qatar won three gold medals on the final day of the 10th FISU World University Weightlifting Championship in Doha, with the five-day competition concluding after 116 athletes from 21 countries competed across the men’s and women’s categories.
Qatar’s Wissal Yakhlef completed a clean sweep in the women’s over-86kg category, winning gold in the snatch with 125kg, the clean and jerk with 155kg and the overall title with a total of 280kg.
South Korea’s Yoo Hyo-bin took all three silver medals with a total of 248kg, while Slovakia’s Lenka Zembova won bronze across the three disciplines with 229kg overall.
Yakhlef said the result was an important milestone in her career and the product of extensive preparation and concentration.
“It was far from easy,” she said, adding that competing against highly skilled lifters had raised the technical standard of the championship. She said the three gold medals would motivate her to continue preparing for upcoming competitions.
The championship also served as Yakhlef’s final stage of preparation before joining Qatar’s national team for the weightlifting competition at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, which begin next week.
Chinese Taipei’s Yu-Lin Peng swept the women’s 86kg gold medals with a 107kg snatch, 125kg clean and jerk and 232kg total. South Korea’s Yubin Hong won three silver medals, while Moldova’s Anastasia Balici took bronze in all three disciplines.
In the men’s 110kg category, American George Upmeyer claimed all three gold medals with a 168kg snatch, 201kg clean and jerk and 369kg total. Romania’s Paul Ionita won silver in the clean and jerk and overall, while American Caleb Wicklund took silver in the snatch.
Iraq’s Mustafa Jabbar completed another clean sweep in the men’s over-110kg category, lifting 170kg in the snatch and 212kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 382kg.
South Korea’s Park Jin-ho won silver in the clean and jerk and overall, while Moldova’s Stanislav Oja took silver in the snatch and bronze overall.
The final day concluded five days of competition at the Education City Student Center, with the championship highlighting the level of university weightlifting and attracting athletes from 21 countries.
A closing ceremony featured a parade of national flags and elements of Qatari culture, while a video reviewed the five days of competition.
Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation Secretary-General Rashid Saeed Adiba thanked the participating athletes, delegations, officials, volunteers and organisers for contributing to the event. He said the championship had provided a platform for fair play, cultural exchange, friendship and understanding among young people.
FISU International Supervisory Committee member Sarita Morales Brenes also thanked the organisers, athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and media for their contribution to the championship.
The FISU flag was formally handed over to Morales Brenes, marking the conclusion of the Doha edition. Albania will host the 11th edition of the championship in 2028.
The event brought the curtain down on five days of competition that combined high-level performances with the values of excellence, discipline and international sporting exchange.
