Rio 2016 Olympic Games Qualification Team Classification - 2016 Oceania Championships

 

 

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To say it was an emotional and tense week at the Oceania championships was an understatement !

The coaches, team manager and athletes worked very well as a team to secure our two Rio nomination slots and also gave the Rio contenders the best chance under the circumstances to contend the sole male and female Australian Olympic Games nominations.

Full results

 

 

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Tia had a very successful championships and secured the sole Rio nomination slot and broke the QLD Snatch record with an 85Kg snatch at 58kg and was the 3rd best female of the championships on Sinclair this gave her also the top female Australian Sinclair ranking this year.

Damo was very very close to getting ahead of Simplice to go to Rio but just missed 217kg on the jerk in an amazing display of competition lifting,  it was very tough on all concerned with the decision being so close (2 reds to 1 white) - but taking a positive out of this he is very close to the old best total and injury free

Mitch was also very close to 143 snatch at 85 (just losing behind) which would have been a new Qld record - he was a lot more relaxed at this major event than last time - I was just so proud that he has made it back to represent Australia after such a frustrating time last year with injury.

 

 

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Australian International

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The club hosted the Australian International at the end of March being an Aus team Olympic Qualifying Event and also last qualifying comp for a few major  internationals it was a major affair !
As usual Ian did a great job of running the comp and the club did a great job helping the QWA.

In the 58 Class
It was great to see Jess back in her first major competition since the Glasgow Games with her total going back up with each comp

In the 69 Class
Ebony did a PB Snatch of 81 and just missed getting 100 CJ with a elbow wobble - but that was enough to get a gold medal
Tessa for her first major competition did very well going for 6/6 and PB's in all lifts to grab silver in a close battle

In the 75 Class
Amie has been strugging with a knee issue which is on the mend but she still managed a PB snatch - by 4 and total by 3 - she is a great platform lifter and dedicated trainer and deserves these PB's

In the 75+ Class
Erin was also in great form also getting 6/6 and PB's in all lifts to get a bronze

In the 69 Mens division
Guyan did a PB CJ of 133 and equal PB total after some big PB's a few weeks ago

In the 77 Mens division
Ryley was very close to a 121 snatch PB but was down overall on total due to focusing on the Crossfit Opens
James was trying to Qualify for World Juniors - he had already done the qualifying total in Dec but I wanted to improve on that in this comp
He had a terrible run of training and sickness leading up to the event and the warmup was not great but managed to do 110 (second go) and 142 to do a kg over the qualifying total a VERY gutsy display of platform lifting.
Josh Mak who has come back from a back injury and also is studying hard in year 12 put in a solid 5/6 on the platform

In the 85 Mens division
I agonized about the starters for Mitch for a whole week - he had just managed 140 in training the week before but that was after missing as heap of snatches 133 upwards - 130 was his comp PB
but he would need 301 to be selected for the Oceania's so he had to get 140 to have a chance as 161CJ was going to be near limit.
I decided to see how the warmup was going and then start on 130 if all was ok - he went 130, 136 (new Qld record) 140 m then 156 , 161 for 3 Qld records  - 2 snatch and 1 total and a 11kg PB.
it was just an awesome display of lifting and great to see after a terrible second part of last year with injury.

In the 105+ division Damo was going for 385 to get ahead of Simplice for a number 1 Rio slot.
Unfortunately it was not his day - he missed his opener on 160 and his second attempt was back but fine and then he just dived under 165 and missed it - we decided to just go for 180 CJ to get a total in so he could get back into training ASAP
Jax has had a lot going on at the moment and his training has suffered  - he still managed a very respectable 286

Australian International Results Book

 

With major competitions like this it can all become rather stressful at times - luckily we have people like  these two lovely ladies at the club that  remind me to have a laugh and enjoy the sport :)

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Crossfit Opens

A lot of the people I  coach have been taking part in the Crossfit Opens this month and its been great to follow their progress
Here is the custom leaderboard

There is a great article on Tia on the Crossfit Games site
http://games.crossfit.com/article/tia-clair-toomeys-second-chance

“It was my first time actually going to the gym (Cougars) and I got to experience watching one of his athletes train,” Toomey said, describing watching Damon Kelly, ninth- and 16th-place finisher at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics in Beijing and London, respectively. “I was in awe of just watching him and how fast he was with just moving the barbell, and how composed he was.”

“As soon as I left that gym that day, I was like, ‘Wow, Shane, I thought I'd try for (the Olympics in) sprints, but I really want to give the weightlifting a go,” she continued.

 

Angie and myself and some club members watched Tia do 16.5 at Reebok Crossfit Gold Coast - it was great to see her in action !!

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Virtuosity

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In 2008 I was very lucky to go along to the first Crossfit Level 1 in Australia, it was very inspirational to listen to Greg and the other trainers

One of the best concepts I like is Greg discussing virtuosity and its something a need to remind myself as a coach, and this not only applies to the novice but also to the advanced lifter struggling with a point sometimes you need to go back and simplify the movement  to gain long term progress....

"In this 2005 open letter to CrossFit trainers, Coach Greg Glassman discusses the importance of virtuosity, defined in gymnastics as “performing the common uncommonly well.”

Unlike risk and originality, virtuosity is elusive, supremely elusive. It is, however, readily recognized by audience as well as coach and athlete. There is a compelling tendency among novices developing any skill or art, whether learning to play the violin, write poetry, or compete in gymnastics, to quickly move past the fundamentals and on to more elaborate, more sophisticated movements, skills, or techniques.

What will inevitably doom a physical training program and dilute a coach’s efficacy is a lack of commitment to fundamentals. Rarely now do we see prescribed the short, intense couplets or triplets that epitomize CrossFit programming. Rarely do trainers really nitpick the mechanics of fundamental movements.

I understand how this occurs. It is natural to want to teach people advanced and fancy movements. The urge to quickly move away from the basics and toward advanced movements arises out of the natural desire to entertain your client and impress him with your skills and knowledge. But make no mistake: it is a sucker’s move. Teaching a snatch where there is not yet an overhead squat, teaching an overhead squat where there is not yet an air squat, is a colossal mistake. This rush to advancement increases the chance of injury, delays advancement and progress, and blunts the client’s rate of return on his efforts. In short, it retards his fitness.

There is plenty of time within an hour session to warm up, practice a basic movement or skill or pursue a new PR or max lift, discuss and critique the athletes’ efforts, and then pound out a tight little couplet or triplet utilizing these skills or just play. CrossFit trainers have the tools to be the best trainers on earth. We want virtuosity!!"

Greg Glassman

 

 


Year in review and World Championships,Pune,National Clubs, All Schools, Michael Keelan Shield, Australian Opens

Looking back on 2015

When I look back on 2015 its been a good year for the club with lots of new talented lifters joining  and lots of new juniors, while more long term members have kept on improving. The committee and especially Jimmy, Tony and Erika have brought different skills that both Angie and myself do not possess to Cougars and its really helped improve the club spirit.

For me its great to see that a lot of club members get together outside the club to enjoy themselves and also have a lot of fun together while training - after all that's why we do it don't we?

Also there has been a lot more discussion on lifting on social media (thanks to Martin and Leo and others) and the internet in general which is great for the sport and its good to see the AWF is getting out Ma Wenhui, former Head Coach of the Chinese national women’s team to work with us in January.

 

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2015 World Championships in Houston

 

Team

It was a great honour to be selected as a coach for the Australian Team for the 2015 World Championships.
I really enjoyed being at the event from watching the great lifting to being in the training hall to coaching out the back it was a great experience and one I shall treasure for a long time.
The team performed very well with everybody getting some sort of PB and Jenna getting 6/6.
Tia  did a PB snatch, CJ and total as a 58 and 4/6 lifts and had a good crack at 112 CJ and handled her 2nd major international very well

 


Commonwealth Championships Pune

 

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Damo, James and Ryley lifted at this event
It was great to see James pip Aydan yet again and also Ryley do 5/6 in his first international

 

 

National Club Championships

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Cougars winners of the National Club Championships
Ebony PB Snatch and Total by 2kg
Erin PB Total by 1kg
Harry PB Total by 4Kg
Jax PB Total by 3Kg
Guyan PB Snatch CJ and Total by 9Kg
And Damo 6/6 and his best total since the Games of 370Kg

 

 

All Schools Championship

 

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St Lauries provided a great venue for the all schools and there was lots of good lifting and battles on the day
Alex Loft Pb Snatch, CJ and Total of 6Kg
Angus  PB Snatch of 6Kg
Eamon  PB Snatch CJ and Total of 22Kg
Harry PB Snatch CJ and Total of 4Kg and best U17 lifter
Jett PB Snatch Cj and Total of 4kg and best U15 lifter
Josh M PB snatch of 4Kg
Lincoln PB Snatch CJ and Total of 5kg
Matt PB snatch CJ and Total 11Kg
Michael PB Snatch CJ and Total of 11kg
Tashaun PB snatch CJ and Total of 6Kg

 

MK Shield



Keelan

The MK results were combined with the Open results to deliver this years winners Ebony and James
The stand out performance was James Norman who did PB snatch of 5kg PB clean and jerk of 5Kg and PB total of 10Kg and A grade at 77 and qualified him to go to World Juniors in Georgia next year - I am glad I misunderstood what his PB snatch was in training :P
Alex Loft PB snatch PB CJ PB total 5kg
Celeste PB snatch PB clean and Jerk PB Total of 8Kg
Dan PB snatch PB CJ PB total 6Kg
Dave with some peer encouragement :) PB snatch PB CJ PB Total 12Kg
Eamon PB Snatch 2Kg
Lochlan PB Snatch PB CJ PB Total 6Kg
Paige PB Snatch PB CJ PB total 7Kg
Peter PB Snatch PB CJ PB total 9Kg
Quyen PB Snatch PB CJ PB Total 23Kg
Rowan PB Snatch PB CJ PB Total 6Kg
Stephen PB Snatch PB CJ PB Total 10Kg


Australian Opens

Tia

 

This event turned out to be much more fun than I thought it would be and its great to have another BW event on the calendar.

The stand out performance was from Tia who was due to start on 80Kg but missed 75kg 3-4 times in the warmup I took her down to 78, and  then 76 having only been successful with 70Kg out the back but then she proceeded to get 76,80, and 83 for a new PB ! - on the Clean and Jerks she started on 102 4kg above her previous starter at 58Kg and then jumped 9kg to 111kg and got that lift to move her into number 1 ranking position for the Rio Olympics with 1 more event to go also a Qld CJ record of 111kg and Total Record of 194Kg at 58Kg. She then cleaned 113 and missed the Jerk behind.  If anything demonstrates her toughness it is this competition.

Leanne PB Snatch CJ and Total 6kg 165kg at 69Kg and a swag of National masters records
Ebony PB Snatch  PB CJ  PB Total by 4kg  - 180Kg 69
Erin PB Snatch PB CJ PB Total 2Kg - 167 Kg- 75
Jax PB CJ 7Kg 169Kg PB Total 4kg 299Kg
Guyan PB Snatch, CJ Total 2kg 218Kg at 69Kg

 


2015 Nationals

James
Detailed Results

Qld Won both the Senior and Junior Team Female Shields and was in 2nd Place in both the Male Senior and Junior Team Shields
Erika (coached by Angie) won best Female and was the first Australian female to do a double bodyweight CJ of 106Kg and Leo Lark (coached by Craig)  won best Junior Male

http://www.awf.com.au/resultsrankings/rptcompresults.aspx?compid=592

Mary Barter- National Senior Champion 48Kg - 1kg PB CJ and Total
James Norman - National Junior and Senior Champion 69kg  - 2kg PB snatch 3kg PB total
Josh Mak 6th Junior  69Kg
Ashley Adams 9th 85Kg
Kris Corrie 10th 85Kg 2kg PB total
Ebony Gorincu - National Senior Silver Medalist 1kg PB Snatch
Nanda Stoltz - National Senior Bronze Medalist
Leanne Knox 5th  - Masters 40-44 Snatch CJ and Total Records
Lydia Olsen - National Junior Champion 75Kg
Luke Gardner  - National Senior Silver Medalist 94kg
Regan Hams - National Senior Bronze Medalist 105Kg 1kg PB CJ and Total
Damon Kelly - National Senior Champion 105+Kg  and 2nd Best Overall lifter
Jackson Solofa 4th 105+ 2kg PB Snatch and Total

Video Interviews
Damon Kelly
James Norman
Mary Barter

 

Damo

 

 

Success
The majority of people tend to only see the fabulous outcome that a successful person has achieved throughout their life.  These achievements blind us so that we often are not even aware of the huge efforts that were necessary to make these accomplishments possible. 

The next time you see a successful person you could try to direct your focus to the necessary efforts that this person had to make in order to achieve his accomplishments. If you are willing to make similar commitments and efforts you have the chance to become as successful as them.

 

ice

 

 

2015 Crossfit Games

Congratulations to Tia Clair Toomey, Shane and CoachRx on her second place at the Crossfit Games and Rookie of the Year and also the first Australian ever to get a podium finish

Listen to her interview about the games http://www.somethingrxd.com/podcasts/crossfit-games-athlete-tia-clair-toomey/

 

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In Memoriam

Thanks to Robert Kabbas for this article

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