SEYCHELLOIS weightlifting has a bright future and Mr Patrick Nanty, the principal secretary for Sports and Culture in the Ministry of Local Government, Sports and Culture, should be the first to admit it as he was on hand at Victoria Gymnasium on Saturday March 29 to witness the exploits of three youngsters who took the sport firmly in their hands with six of the eight records shattered on that hot afternoon.

Compared to past competitions when male lifters dominated, this time it was the ladies who took centre-stage in style in the Association Cup in the absence through knee injuries of the country’s two big names – Sportslady of the Year 2002 Janet Thélermont and Steven Baccus, runner-up to three-time Sports Personality of the Year Allan Julie.

Fourteen-year-old Clementina Agricole won the heart of the small crowd with her display of strength to shatter the junior and senior categories snatch as well as clean and jerk records belonging to former Sportslady of the Year Sophia Vandagne.

Competing alone in the 53-kg category, Agricole, a secondary three student of the Plaisance Secondary School, had in December last year given a warning that she would be one of the top lifters here and this came real last Saturday as she pulverised four of the oldest records and at the same time took everyone by surprise.

The teenager bettered Vandagne’s best snatch mark of 65kg with a lift of 65.5kg in her second attempt. Pint-sized Agricole, who had lifted 60kg in her first attempt, then asked for the bar to be loaded at 67.5kg but she failed her attempt.

In the clean-and-jerk event where lifters lift the big weights, Agricole, who was cheered on by close friend Thélermont, warmed up for Vandagne’s then standing best of 85kg by lifting 80kg. She came then in for her second attempt with the weight already set at 85.5kg for a new Seychelles record and she heaved the load over her head with ease. Agricole then asked for 87.5kg which she also lifted, adding 2.5kg to the old best to bring her total to 153kg. She had broken four Seychelles records in just six lifts – three clean-and-jerks and three snatches.

It is true then when athletes say that records are there to be broken.

Such an impressive display earned Agricole the best female lifter award and a special title for her achievement from the hands of PS Nanty and one can only wonder what she is capable of after having taken only three years to reach this far in one of the most problematic sports which can provide compelling spectacles.

It is worth noting that Sophia Vandagne, who is currently in England, was pushed by the best African female lifters during the Seventh All-Africa Games in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1999 to achieve these results which won her three medals – two silver and a bronze.

At that time, Vandagne, whose total at the quadrennial African meet was 150kg, was 19 years old and had practised the sport for three years.

What can we expect from Agricole then in future?

"I am capable of lifting more load because I train a lot, five times weekly. Maybe it looked easy when I heaved the bar, but it was indeed very tough and challenging," said the 14-year-old who is eyeing three gold medals at the next Indian Ocean Islands Games (IOIG) in Mauritius from August 29 to September 7.

Marvellous Matatiken

  The other female lifter to improve two records Saturday was Julie Matatiken and like Agricole, she too heaved the barbells well in the 48-kg category.

After making a comeback in the sport late last year following a two-year break, Matatiken, 22, showed that her preparation for the IOIG was going well with record lifts in both the snatch and clean-and-jerk.

After lifting 45kg in the snatch, Matatiken beat her old record of 50.5kg in her second attempt with a lift of 51kg before improving on the record less than 10 minutes later with a weight of 55kg in her final try.

In the clean-and-jerk event, Matatiken, who told Sports Nation that she "expected old records to fall Saturday", added an extra 6.5kg to her old best of 61kg to bring the new mark to 67.5kg after having already lifted 62.5kg in her second attempt.

Her total was 117.5kg.

Competing against Matatiken, junior lifter Naira Uzice made Ruby Malvina, who did not compete Saturday but watched the others compete, regret staying away from the platform as she pulverised the latter’s old clean-and-jerk junior record of 60.5kg with an effort of 61kg at the second attempt.

"I am happy to have got the record. It was not an easy job, but I got it done through sheer determination. Now I will continue to train hard and I am looking forward for the IOIG," said Uzice, who finished with a total of 106kg after having snatched 45kg.

Dixie saves the face of male lifters

With the female lifters taking a rest after a job well done, it was the men’s turn – seven in total – to take to the platform, but only Terrence Dixie was in record-breaking mood.

Triple gold medallist in the 62-kg category of last year’s 15th African Weightlifting Championship in Nairobi, Kenya, which won him the Best Young Male Athlete of the Year accolade, Dixie added .5kg to Charles Siméon’s old best of 105kg for a new record of 105.5kg in his third snatch attempt in the 69-kg division.

In the clean-and-jerk, Dixie, son of coach William Dixie and who is enjoying his second spell as a weightlifter, could only lift 120kg, failing two attempts at 130kg.

"I am not satisfied with my performance even though I got a record. Today (Saturday) is not my day," the 19-year-old, who finished as best male lifter with a total of 225.5kg, told Sports Nation.

The following are the remaining results of the other male competitors: Ian Rose, 62-kg, (140kg in total, 65kg snatch and 75kg clean-and-jerk), Peter Havelock, 77-kg, (230kg in total, 100kg snatch and 130kg clean-and-jerk), Terry Marie, 77-kg (160kg in total, 70kg snatch and 90kg clean-and-jerk), Elvis Siméon, 85-kg, (237.5kg in total, 112.5kg snatch and 125kg clean-and-jerk), Elvis Jeanne, 94-kg, (260kg in total, 110kg snatch and 150kg clean-and-jerk), Robert Kilindo, 105-kg, (115kg in total, 115kg snatch and 0kg clean-and-jerk), Frank Accouche, +105-kg, (285kg in total, 125kg snatch and 160kg clean and jerk).