Southland Olympic Weightlifting was formed in February 2005, but many Southland lifters have been competitors at a national level for over fifty years.
 
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Southland hosting New Zealand Champs
  New Zealand Champs in Southland 2010
Southland Olympic Weightlifting will be hosting the 75th New Zealand Championships on Saturday 6th November 2010.
This includes Senior,Junior and Youth grades which have only been included in the last three years.
This is the second time Southland have hosted this event with the first being 2006. The venue will be one of the premier sport complexes in New Zealand, Stadium Southland's Indoor Velodrome (the venue for the 2008 South Island Champs).
A big turnout is expected and it is hoped that members of the New Zealand Commonwealth Games team will attend fresh from their trip to Delhi. Southland has four members who have qualified and more are expected to make the qualifying total .
 
Historical News
Southland Olympic Weightlifting club's only entry in the New Zealand Olympic Weightlifting Championships Jules Dempsey fought a tough battle to gain the Silver medal in the 105+ class.
Dempsey (who is the current South Island 105+ Champion) snatched 118kg giving him a comfortable lead from his two of his rivals,but was two kilo's behind Auckland's Danny Nemani.
Dempsey clean & jerked 141kg on his second attempt forcing the eventual bronze medalist from Canterbury to start at 145 to make ground from his deficit on the snatch this caused him to miss the weight twice & succeeding on his third attempt.
The Aucklander was successful on 150kg with two attempts left.Dempsey had a final attempt on 152kg, which if the Aucklander failed at a heavier weight would give Dempsey the title by lighter body weight.Dempsey hauled the weight up & jerked it above his head, but the attempt was ruled out with an arm press.
The aucklander then attempted 160kg & was also ruled out on a technicality,at this stage he forfeited his last attempt as he knew he had won the competition.
Dempsey's coach Mark Paterson said he couldn't ask any more of his lifter who had five from six successful attempts at the last two competitions,despite suffering an injury three months ago which had limited his training.
With Southland holding the New Zealand Olympic Weightlifting Championships next year at the Stadium Southland Velodrome; locals will be able to see Dempsey & other Southlanders competing, along with members of the Commonwealth Games team.
The gold medal win by Debs Flawn at the recent Masters World Weightlifting Championships held in conjunction with the 2009 Sydney Masters World Games was the highlight for the four Southland lifters involved. The competition ended yesterday.
Flawn's first international competition success was a pleasant surprise as she matched her better performed Danish competitor, kilo by kilo. She snatched a PB of 48 kgs to equal the NZ record and competently clean and jerked 60 kgs to secure the world title with a NZ record of 108 kilos. She was lifting in the 75+ kg bodyweight category and 35-39 yrs class.
As a new and young international masters lifter Flawn has shown considerable maturity to crown her first serious competition with this win. Over the last year she has gradually improved through consistent training and should continue to do so.
First time world masters championships lifter Jules Dempsey attained a fifth place in a very strong field of 35-39 year olders in the 105+ kgs bodyweight category. He snatched 116 kgs and clean and jerked 140 kgs to total a commendable 256 kgs. Dempsey has thoroughly enjoyed this tough new dimension in his sport.
Battling a debilitating knee injury, NZ masters champion and record holder Helen Todd secured a fourth place with a total of 94 kgs. Her knee will require specialist attention before she can attempt any more sport.
A shock awaited Wendy Stevens in the 75+ kgs bodyweight category and 55-59 years class when she easily managed the weight above her head in the snatch but was ruled out on each occasion. She was refereed as "pressing out" which is a technical error. She was not allowed to continue the competition. Over 20 other lifters in the champs were not able to 'total.' This disqualification was particularly hard on Stevens who was the only competitor in her class and was heading for a gold medal perfomance.
The New Zealand women's team were placed fourth ahead of France(the Men's seventh).
There was a flurry of 62 women's world records set. This swell of new records indicates the rapid increase in standard for women's international lifting. However the local lifter, Marion Troon's, two world records and three World Games records, remain intact for another period.
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Mark Terry and Jules, World Masters
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Jules
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Mark and Jules - World Masters
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Ashleigh MacDougall (picture below) won a Silver medal at the New Zealand School Championship at Te Kauwhata on the 12th August.She equaled her personal best total of 100kg.Her coach Mark Paterson was pleased with the result, especially after less than a year of training and he expects her to excel in the future.
Wendy Stevens, Helen Todd,Deb Flawn & Jules Dempsey will be competing between the 10th & 18th October 2009. Barry Rait and Mark Paterson will be coaching and supporting their lifters.Barry will also be representing New Zealand at the Weightlifting Congress as the New Zealand Masters co-coordinator.
Competitors from Southland to Compete at the New Zealand Championship on the 31st October will be announced in the next few weeks.
Southland Olympic Weightlifting will hold the 75th New Zealand Weightlifting Championships at Stadium Southland Velodrome on Saturday 6th November 2010.
Ashleigh MacDougall (picture below) won a Silver medal at the New Zealand School Championship at Te Kauwhata on the 12th August.She equaled her personal best total of 100kg.Her coach Mark Paterson was pleased with the result, especially after less than a year of training and he expects her to excel in the future.
Wendy Stevens, Helen Todd,Deb Flawn & Jules Dempsey will be competing between the 10th & 18th October 2009. Barry Rait and Mark Paterson will be coaching and supporting their lifters.Barry will also be representing New Zealand at the Weightlifting Congress as the New Zealand Masters co-coordinator.
Competitors from Southland to Compete at the New Zealand Championship on the 31st October will be announced in the next few weeks.
View Photo Gallery for Photos from the Oceania Champs 2008 >>
Mark Paterson with Walter Scholz (Former German Olympic Weightlifting Team Coach)
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