Iraq showcased a star for the future at the IWF World Youth Championships five years ago, and now it is doing it again.
In 2021 it was Ali Ammar Yusur, who began his international career by finishing third at 102kg and has been given maximum support ever since. He was sixth at the Paris Olympic Games three years later and is among the favourites to become the super-heavyweight champion at Los Angeles 2028.
On the final day of this year’s World Youths in Cali, Colombia, it was 16-year-old Mousa Khudhair, who won at 94kg.
Mousa Khudair (IRQ)
It takes a big leap of faith to think a medallist in youth weightlifting might end up at the Olympic Games many years later, but the sporting authorities in Iraq were right about Ali Ammar and are confident about Khudhair’s future.
“Mousa Khudhair is a very good weightlifter who we enrolled in the Olympic preparation programme supported by the Iraqi National Olympic Committee,” said Mustafa Salih from the Iraq Weightlifting Federation.
“He is being prepared for the 2032 Olympic Games. A preparation plan was put in place at the beginning of this year and will continue until we achieve our goal.”
Men’s 94kg category podium
Khudhair’s numbers were lower than the top two finishers at 88kg on Friday, but they will soon improve with that level of state support, just as Ali Ammar’s did. After winning, he immediately received a message of congratulations from the president of Iraq’s National Olympic Committee.
He made five good lifts in his 150-182-332, finishing 15kg ahead of Alen Zurabyan from Armenia on 137-180-317. Tamazi Megreleshvili from Georgia was third on 141-171-312 and snatch silver medallist Mykhailo Maliuk from Ukraine fourth on 142-160-302. Remarkably, Khudhair’s failure at 182kg on his second clean and jerk was the only red light for the top four.
Nikoloz Kurtanidze (GEO)
It was a similar story in the +94 men’s super-heavyweights, in which the top three finishers all made six from six and there were only two red lights among the top seven. Nikoloz Kurtanidze won, leaving Georgia as the only nation with more than one champion in Cali.
Men’s +94kg category podium
Kurtanidze made 151-187-338 to finish a kilo ahead of his team-mate Khvicha Kitsmaridze, the snatch winner, on 154-183-337. Kacper Piech from Poland was third on 153-180-333, and fourth-placed Semion Makarau from Belarus won bronze in snatch.
Aparicio Lidysmar (VEN)
Aparicio Lidysmar from Venezuela won the women’s super-heavyweights for the second straight year. Last year in Lima she totalled 230kg and this time she showed impressive improvement with a six-from-six 110-140-250.
Sara Dal Bo from Italy, a 2024 World Youths winner at 81kg, made 102-128-230 for second place, a personal best.
Women’s +77kg category podium
Su Ceng-shi from Chinese Taipei was down in ninth place in snatch but moved up to third on total and took silver in clean and jerk on 95-130-225.
Tbini Hiba from Tunisia was third in snatch on 101kg before bombing out in clean and jerk.
By Brian Oliver
Photos by Giorgio Scala/Deepbluemedia
