Kazakh Weightlifter Ilya Ilyin Wins Gold, Sets Two New World Records in Grozny

ASTANA –Kazakh two-time Olympic Champion and four-time world champion Ilya Ilyin, 27, set two new world records at the Fifth Russian Federation President Weightlifting Cup in Grozny, Russia on Dec. 12.

Ilya Ilyin in action Grozny, Dec. 11, 2015

Ilya Ilyin in action Grozny, Dec. 11, 2015

“The people of Kazakhstan, I dedicate my victory to the Independence Day of Kazakhstan,” Ilyin said as he continued in Kazakh “Alga, Kazakhstan!” (meaning Go Forward, Kazakhstan!).

Kyzyorda-born Ilyin set two new records in the 105 kilogramme-category by clean and jerking 246 kilogrammes and setting a new total world record of 437 kilogrammes. The Kazakh beat his own record set on Nov. 15, 2014 in Almaty, where he clean and jerked 242 kilogrammes and totalled 432 kilogrammes in the same weight category.

Another Kazakh Alexander Zaichikov took silver with 416 kilogrammes in total in the same 105 kilogramme category. London 2012 Olympic champion Svetlana Podobedova, raising 264 kilogrammes in total, took silver in the 75-kilogramme category among women; Russian Olga Zubova won gold with 268 kilogrammes in total.


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