León, Day 4: Segura hits new heights for  Colombia, another gold for USA – and Saudi teen breaks three youth world records

Ingrid Segura put on a show to claim Colombia’s first title on the fourth day of the 2024 World Junior Championships in León, Spain.

The day’s other winner was Caden Cahoy from the United States in the men’s 73kg, in which a 16-year-old from Saudi Arabia claimed a youth world held by the Olympic champion Rizki Juniansyah, then set two more world records.

Ingrid Segura (COL)

Segura reversed the women’s 64kg placings at the Pan American Junior Championships in Palmira, Colombia three months ago, where she had finished second to last year’s junior world champion Katie Estep from the United States.

She had failed with her last two attempts in Palmira but this time Segura made six from six. Segura and Estep had been neck and neck until Estep missed her final attempt after five good lifts. Segura then pulled 9kg clear with a career-best 130kg clean and jerk to finish 101-130-231.

“This my first Junior World Championships and I worked hard for it,” said Segura. “We had some very good training camps after the Pan American Championships and this is the result. I had a bad day in Palmira, this was the best. In training I had never made more than 127, so 130 was special.”

Katharine Estep (USA)

Estep finished 100-122-222, a personal-record total in what, she said, was the strongest competition she has lifted in. “The numbers were high but I wasn’t so surprised. I’ve learned in weightlifting that you kinda have to expect the unexpected.

“I’m happy with my performance. I’m a bit under the weather, I’m losing my voice. I know there’s a virus going around but I’m not sure it’s that.”

Estep, who also won world gold as a youth, is hoping to lift at the senior World Championships in Bahrain in December. “But I’m in the final year of college and my finals are around that time. I have to talk to my professors. I want to be a doctor.”

Jessica Palacios (ECU)

Jessica Palacios from Ecuador was third, as she had been in Palmira. Palacios, younger sister of the Paris Olympic medallists Neisi Dajomes and Angie Palacios, failed with her final two attempts and made 98-120-218.

Estep’s team-mate Sophie Shaft was a contender until she missed two clean and jerks. Shaft made 97-120-217.

Claudia Rengifo from Venezuela was fifth, so the first five places were filled by women from the Americas.

Caden Cahoy (USA)

Team USA strengthened its place at the top of the medals table when Caden Cahoy took the 73kg, his team’s third title of the Championships.

Cahoy started after everybody else had finished in clean and jerk. He failed with his first attempt at 180kg but there was no sign of nerves on the next one, which he made. Cahoy, the Pan American junior champion, then failed at 186kg in going for a personal record.

Ionut Donose (ROU)

Ionut Donose from Romania made six-from-six for 149-174-323, taking snatch gold and finishing second on total. Mohammed Alzintani from Libya had two chances to overtake Donose but failed both times on 178kg and finished third. He suffered an injury on his final attempt and had his arm in a sling for the medal ceremony.

Mohammed Alzintani (LBA)

Mohammed Al Marzouq from Saudi Arabia, who will be 17 on Wednesday, set three youth world records in his first four lifts, two in snatch and one on total. If he had made either of his final attempts he would have had clean and jerk too.

Mohammed Al Marzouq (KSA)

His second snatch of 141kg bettered the youth mark held by Juniansyah. Al Marzouq finished 144-166-310, taking the total record from Yedige Yemberdi of Kazakhstan.

By Brian Oliver