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Silver and gold for local lifters

Griffin Lamarche won gold and Ruth Chounoir captured silver
20191210 Ruth snatches 43kilos
Ruth Chounoir in action. Photo supplied.

On Saturday the Radix Performance Centre in Oakville played host to provincial junior and youth weightlifting finals. There were 20 clubs represented, and medals were awarded in ten male and ten male weight divisions. Two lifters from the North Bay Norsemen and Valkyries took part and both stepped onto the medal podium.

13-year-old Griffin Lamarche of North Bay lifted in the male 55 kilo and under division. The young Chippewa Intermediate student had what is considered a perfect competitive outing for a weightlifter. Indeed, he was successful in all six attempts and broke his personal records in both the snatch, clean and jerk, and total.

Lamarche started his snatches with 42 kilos and made a perfect lift. He then moved up to 45 on his second lift for the same result. For his third and final snatch, he elected to take 46 and made it in convincing fashion.

In the clean and jerks, he also did three good tries making 51, 53, and 56. His total of 102 kilos – via 46 and 56 – also gave him the gold medal. The silver medalist was Asher Edson of Variety Village in Scarborough with a total of 88 kilos.

Later in the day, Ruth Chouinor took to the platform to represent the Valkyries in the female 81 kilo and under division. Ruth missed her opening attempt in the snatch at 40 kilos. Then, her coach- Logan Baker- called for her to repeat. She was successful on her second try. Her third and final, at 43 kilos, was also a good lift and new personal record.

In the clean and jerks, the 14-year-old Chippewa Secondary student started with 50 kilos for a success.

She then jumped to 54 on her second and made it in easy fashion. Ruth’s last attempt of the day was 56 kilos; it too was done in solid fashion.

Chounoir finished with a 99 kilos total and the silver medal in her weight class. The gold medalist at 81 kilos was Gillian Bennett of the Just Lift Weightlifting Club in Ottawa. Bennett had a total of 137 kilos.