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NZ trip gives Shane a big lift
SHANE Wagner doesn't mind a bit of heavy lifting.
The 15-year-old weightlifter travelled to New Zealand earlier this month as part of the Australian youth and junior development squad.
He joined three other Toowoomba lifters - Bianca Sheppard, Kara Stuart and David Hockins - for a competition against the New Zealand junior squad and a week-long training camp.
While the Australian team was beaten overall, Wagner said it was an awesome experience.
"It was pretty tough," he said.
"This was my first time competing overseas.
"I beat my opponent in the 77kg class, so it was pretty good."
Coach Greg Hobl said all the lifters were very impressive.
"It wasn't a particularly high level competition, but it was a good experience for them to compete internationally," he said.
"Shane did the best of the lot. He had six out of six lifts and increased his personal best by 2kg.
"They've been up for a fair time so to be able to produce those results at an international competition is excellent."
Wagner has only been competing for about three years now, but he is fast making a name for himself.
He was victorious at the national championships in September and holds the Australian record for the under-17 69kg category.
Wagner said he was hungry for more success in 2012.
"It's been a good year, but my goal for next year is to win nationals again," he said.
Hobl said Wagner definitely had a big future in the sport.
"This is his second international meet this year, but he's still only young," he said.
"He's a bit taller now, so we'll move him up to 77kg next year. Hopefully he'll kick on.
"To have four of them in the Australian squad makes for a good training environment."
Carrying our nation's hopes
FAR from the public eye, most afternoons at Toowoomba State High School gym you can find five young athletes putting Toowoomba on the Australian sporting map.
But these athletes aren’t the typical batch of rugby league prodigies the Garden City is known for producing.
No, these athletes are committed to a sport which only registers with the public once every four years when the Olympic Games rolls around – weightlifting.
Notoriety, however, isn’t what drives these five lifters. They are simply looking to reach their potential in a sport which attracts competitors from throughout the world.
And Shane Wagner, David Hockins, Bianca Sheppard, Kara Stuart and Jake Ratcliffe will take on some of the world’s best lifters when they represent Australia at the Oceania Championships in just over two weeks time.
Under the watchful eye of coach Greg Hobl, the five athletes have lifted Toowoomba right to the top of the Australian rankings, placing second at the National Club Weightlifting Championships in Brisbane earlier this month.
At that competition the five lifters also qualified to compete for Australia in Darwin against the best weightlifting talent from Pacific countries like New Zealand and Fiji.
Hobl, who was also selected as Australia’s head junior coach, said the Pacific nations represented a good test for his charges.
“They’re going to have big teams,” Hobl said. “The Oceania countries are very competitive and suited to weightlifting so they’re going to provide great competition.”
Wagner and Hockins will make their Australian debuts at the championships. Sheppard, Stuart and Ratcliffe have all previously represented Australia at the annual tournament.
Competing in the under 17 62kg youth category, Wagner, 15, may be giving away almost two years’ experience to the other competitors but that hasn’t stopped him from making an impact.
Stuart, 16, competes in the 53kg youth category where she boasts a personal best in the snatch of 43kg and 56kg in the clean and jerk.
Hockins and Sheppard will both compete in the youth under 20s category, Sheppard in the 58kg category where she is considered a genuine medal chance, and Hockins in the 56kg category.
But Hobl expects Ratcliffe to make the biggest impact of the Toowoomba competitors in the under 17 77kg classification.
“He’s been going fantastic,” Hobl said. “He is the top qualifier out of his class. Jake has the world at his feet, he can go places.”
No matter how his charges perform at the Oceania Games, Hobl says this is only the start of their international careers.
“Toowoomba has had people make the national team before, but never this many,” Hobl said.
“The lifters train about four times a week which is a big commitment but there are also great rewards.”
2011 Australian Club Championships
Check out the 2011 Asutalian Club Championships live at http://video.qwa.org.
You can also follow the lifts of the TWA lifters at www.twitter.com/twaorgau or #2011ACC
2011 World Junior Weightlifting Championships Website is Live!
The website for the 2011 World Junior Weightlifting Championships is now live. You can visit the site at www.2011wjwc.com, this site was designed by Miles Wydall
Also the Toowoomba Weightlifting Association now has a Twitter Feed, you can follow us at http://twitter.com/twaorgau
We hope to make good use at 2011 Australian Club Championships to be held at Cougars Weightlifting Club at Chandler. Also visit video.qwa.org later in the week, there should be some information regarding the web cast for the competition on the site.
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