[HIGH PERFORMANCE] COMPETITIVENESS:


THE GAME WITHIN THE GAME BY PETER ROSELLI


As the more experienced lifters and coaches have come to understand, there are many aspects of competition that ultimately contribute to the results obtained; some are easily recognized, while many others are not so clearly evident in the final ranking of competitors at the competition’s conclusion.


The following are a few examples of these less evident competitive elements from the recent Pan Am and Worlds competitions:


BODYWEIGHT MANAGEMENT A look at the bodyweights of the lifters in the light and middle


weight categories at the Worlds, and to a somewhat lesser extent at the Pan Ams, indicates that most lifters weighed in at within ½ kg of the category limit, with many within ¼ kg of the limit. National Team Coach Smalcerz was very sensitive to this factor in terms of the US lifters, as he observed that particularly in the case of the very light bodyweight categories, weight loss from too high a bodyweight over the category limit, or weight loss too much be- low the category limit has a negative effect on leg strength. We most often think in terms of the former, but the latter element is a nuance less often considered in managing bodyweight. So while making weight is a must, managing the amount of weight lost to obtain the optimal resulting bodyweight, with the objective of weighing as close to the category limit as possible, is a competi- tive factor not to be overlooked.


COMPETING FOR PLACEMENT AT EVERY LEVEL WITHIN THE SESSION Coach Smalcerz was particularly focused on this competitive


element at both competitions. For example, at the Pan Ams, Danica Rue, competing in the


69 kg category, prevailed in a close competition with Brazilian Menenzes to secure fifth place. Ahead by 2 kg after her first snatch at 90 kg, to Rue’s successful third at 88 kg, Menenzes missed with subsequent attempts at 90 kg and 95 kg. She then moved further into the lead, opening with a successful 110 kg to Rue’s 107 kg. Rue answered with a strong 112 kg to tie Menenzes at 200 kg in total, who then attempted 114 kg, missing twice with this weight. Rue then completed 115 kg on her final attempt for a 203 kg total to “win” fifth place. And in the 105 kg category, Don Shankle won a hard fought competition with the Cuban Cisneros to secure third place and


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the bronze medal for the US. On his second attempt snatch, Shankle answered the Cuban’s successful opener at 160 kg with 162 kg for a 2 kg lead. Cisneros followed with a successful 165 kg to move ahead by 3 kg, which Shankle equaled on his third to again tie. Cisneros then missed his third at 167 kg. In the clean and jerk, Cisneros answered Shankle’s 195 kg opener with 197 kg for a 2 kg lead, then succeeded with 202 kg on his second. Shankle, the heavier in bodyweight, followed with a successful 203 kg second attempt to move ahead 368 kg to 367 kg in total. Cisneros’ third attempt miss at 205 kg sealed the bronze for Shankle, who then moved to 206 kg for his third to surpass the 370 kg total level at 371 kg, completing the lift but being turned down for press out on a close call by the referees.


WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS: THE COMPETITION WITHIN THE COMPETITION The current method of Olympic slot qualification has created


what amounts to two Worlds competitions simultaneously con- tested, but separately scored, in each of the two pre-Olympic years, one the World Championships and the second a competi- tion for Olympic slots. And while the former is readily observable, with results seen session by session, the results of the latter, and arguably the more critical competition, are not. In fact, the ana- lysts handling the Worlds broadcast for Eurosport commented at one point that while the Worlds was also an Olympic qualification competition, the qualification procedure was too difficult to ex- plain, and that it would take too long to do. Briefly stated, National Federations may designate up to 6


men and 4 women as point scorers in the Olympic slot quali- fication competition from among their teams of up to 8 men and 7 women entered in the Worlds at the Verification of Final Entries meeting preceding the first category session contested. This subset of lifters designated as point scorers then becomes


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