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MARISCAL CÁCERES COLISEUM HOSTS BEST WEIGHTLIFTING COMPETITION IN CONTINENT
Hundreds of people arrived to support their favorite athletes. Venezuelan immigrates were ecstatic to watch their fellow Venezuelans win.
As Peru celebrates its independence day, many families took the opportunity to attend a competition that they could only watch on television before: weightlifting. Among the audience were Venezuelan immigrates, who moved to Peru in the last few months.
The feeling of seeing their fellow Venezuelans compete and defend their flag was indescribable. There were lots of tears and happiness as they saw their athletes succeed. Everyone got excited when Génesis Rodríguez won the 55 kg competition, with a total of 212 kg in the snatch, and clean and jerk, and even more so when they heard, and sang, their national anthem.
Génesis cried with them because she was the first Venezuelan to win a gold medal at the Lima 2019 Pan American Games. Colombian Yenny Sinistierra also cried, but because she lost the competition. Many thought she was the favorite to win this competition, but the Venezuelan’s courage was stronger. Peruvian Shoely Mego had the fans support, but she did not make it to the podium, finishing in sixth place.
Julio Mayora gave Venezuelans another victory in the men’s 73 kg. He even broke the Pan American record with a total of 349 kg. He surpassed the last record of 347 kg set last June 27 in La Habana, Cuba, by Clarence Cummings of the United States. This marked another touching moment and was celebrated by all the Venezuelans in the coliseum. Mayora beat the junior world champion, Colombian Luis Mosquera, who had won the bronze medal at the Rio Olympic Games. Another touching moment was when they sang, for the second time, the Venezuelan anthem thanks to Lima 2019.
Two Peruvians, Oscar Terrones and Santiago Villegas, competed in this category. The Terrones family filled up a part of the stands and never stopped cheering for Óscar, who placed fifth with 304 kg. There are no complaints for the Peruvian representative who was close to third place. Villegas placed ninth with 282 kg.
The crowd experienced a weightlifting celebration and everyone was happy with the level of the athletes.