After 20 years of being inactive, Ryan Claros and Jesse Rosario took the lead in reviving the Guam Weightlifting Federation and re-establishing it as a recognized sport on Guam.
In a span of nine months, the duo have been able to organize competitions, send a team of young weightlifters to the Pacific Games, form a board of directors and send athletes and coaches to training camps. They’ve also been able to send an athlete to represent Guam in the World Weightlifting Championships.
Those results aren’t going unnoticed. At the Pacific Games, Kimberly Taguacta shocked Oceania Weightlifting Federation officials when she earned a bronze medal in her first-ever international competition.
“I feel so honored. I just came out here to gain some experience at the international level and to get a medal in the snatch … I can’t explain it right now,” said Taguacta immediately after official notice that she would receive the medal. “I’m proud to represent my island and everyone who supported me.”
Taguacta successfully lifted 57 kilograms in her first attempt, and then followed with a 62-kilogram lift in her second attempt. She was unable to complete her attempt at 66 kilograms, but she had already secured the bronze with her second lift.
What’s more amazing about her performance is that she had a chance at a second medal, a silver, if she had completed her lifts in the clean and jerk.
She was unable to get clean lifts in all three attempts at 72 kilograms in the clean and jerk. but if she had completed any of those lifts, Taguacta would have finished second overall.
Her success at the Pacific Games earned her a nod to represent the island at the 2015 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships in Nov. 21.
She competed against more than 110 counties and 750-plus athletes in a chance to represent Guam at the 2016 Olympic Games. Taguacta didn’t fare as well as expected, but it was still an incredible first step in an organization that was defunct for over two decades.
“It was the biggest competition that she’s ever been involved in — that’s worldwide competition — and she was affected right on her first lift,” said Rosario, who is now the GWF vice president. “That’s the only thing that affected her. Training wise, she was prepared; she was hitting all the numbers.”
Rosario said the experience Taguacta gained couldn’t be duplicated and hopefully she can use that experience to help herself and others who might have another shot in the future.
“That’s why we participate in competitions like this, … so we can gear athletes up for bigger stages,” said Rosario. “We are still a young federation and we have much to work on, but we’ve seen that Guam has potential and that we can be competitive in this sport on an international stage.”
The interest could be credited to the CrossFit craze that has been hitting the island. Nearly all of the Guam national weightlifting team that competed were involved in a local CrossFit gym that competed at a weightlifting trials in March. From there, the team was selected.
“As an athlete, I noticed a lot of growth and exposure in the sport of weightliftin on Guam. Since our first meet in March, we have had three meets on island,” said Shane Concepcion.
And the interest is building, he said.
“At our local weightlifting meets, the amount of people in attendance has grown with each respective competition. It has been awesome to be a part of (the whole process).”
The group is going to use this newfound success and push forward, said Concepcion. “Our immediate plans for 2016 are to build up our coaching and technical officials on the island so that we can work with the (Independent Interscholastic Athletic Association of Guam) to establish weightlifting in our high schools,” Concepcion said.
The goal isn’t just to be successful in Guam or at the Pacific Games, but to break into the international scene.
“We want to find young and aspiring athletes and train then to represent Guam and hopefully make it to the Olympic stage.”
Courtesy of: Pacific Daily News