Belarus’ Sazanovets bags gold at 2014 European Weightlifting Championships

Belarusian athlete Dina Sazanovets (weight category up to 69 kg) won gold at the 2014 European Weightlifting Championships which are underway in Tel Aviv (Israel), BelTA has learnt.

Dina Sazanovets’ total result is 245 kg. In the snatch she lifted 115 kg. Then she clean-and-jerked 130 kg. This is the first medal for the Belarusian at the European championships.

Last year, she was silver medalist at the same tournament held in Albania (252 kg: 112 kg + 140 kg). At the 2013 World Championship in Poland she won bronze with 259 kg (116 kg + 143 kg).

The silver medal was bagged by Bulgarian weightlifter Milka Maneva - 228 kg (103kg + 125kg). Ukrainian Nadiia Myroniuk had to settle for bronze after lifting a total of 227 kg (104kg + 123kg).

Dina Sazanovets’ award is the second for Belarusian athletes during the current European Weightlifting Championships. Earlier Stanislav Chadovich won silver in the men’s under 62 kg event. His total is 293kg (135kg + 158kg).

In the women's competition 19-year-old Yulia Asayonok took 9th place in the under 48kg weight category with 152kg (70kg + 82kg). Her teammate, in the 58kg class, was 8th (191kg: 103kg + 88kg).

In the 105kg weight category Belarus may be represented by Andrei Aryamnov on 12 April. If Andrei Aryamnov features in the competition, it will be his first tournament after a four-year hiatus. Injuries have recently marred this athlete’s career. Last time he took part in high-level competitions was at the 2010 European Weightlifting Championship in Minsk. Back then, the athlete won gold but was later deprived of the medal because he tested positive for banned substances. He was disqualified for 6 months. After that he was included in the list of participants of all high-level tournaments but de facto did not take part in them. Andrei Aryamnov was notorious for controversial behavior in his non-sports life. However, he managed to return to the Belarusian national team.

The 2014 European Weightlifting Championships are not a qualifying competition for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Brazil, which is why a number of leading weightlifters do not take part in it. Winners of Olympic licenses will be known after the 2014 World Weightlifting Championships due in November.