Sergio Massidda wins two silver medals (snatch with 137 kg and total with 302 kg) at the weightlifting World Championships underway in Riyadh in the 61 kg category, a result that also earns the blue second place in the Olympic qualifying ranking for the Paris Games 2024.
The athlete originally from Ghilarza lifted 135 kg and in the second round relaunched with 137 kg, thus retouching his previous Italian record (135 kg set at the World Championships in Bogotà last December) and stopping in second place behind the 141 kg lifted by Chinese Fabin Li.
In his momentum, he opened with a lift at 163kg and then on his third attempt he lifted 165kg, a measure that earned him the 302kg total with which he conquered the historic world silver.
«They were kilos that I knew I could do - says Sergio Massidda - because we worked very hard in the gym to reach them. The efforts have given the desired results, indeed, with momentum I could have done even more. This measure allows me to be second in the Olympic ranking. I can say that for Paris I put the Chinese Li in my sights».
«It was an enormous emotion - comments the blue coach Sebastiano Corbu - Sergio is an athlete who manages to maintain coolness and lucidity even in conditions of great tension. Once again he proved to be an athlete of the highest level». «The 61 kg is one of the most complicated categories in the entire men's world championship, it has an important specific weight - says Fipe President Antonio Urso with great satisfaction - and Sergio went on to win two very important medals that fill us with pride, also going to improve the Olympic ranking».
(Unioneonline/ss)