Samoa’s Don Opeloge Wins Bronze in Clean and Jerk at IWF Grand Prix II in Doha

Don Opeloge had great expectations when coming to Qatar after he had won the Pacific Games + Oceania Championship in November this year, he came to fight in the 102 kg category and showed great numbers, earning him a bronze medal in the Clean and Jerk.

In the Snatch attempts, Don started with 170 kg, that resulted in a good lift, for the second attempt he faced a 174 kg bar, he looked confident and pulled under the bar real fast, but missed in forward in the end, he immediately went back again to the bar for his third attempt.

He looked confident in that he was going to put it successfully overhead, but his right foot came a little off the floor and his knee collapsed just a few degrees making him fail his third attempt, making him finish with a score of 170 kg and placing him 7th in the Snatch round.

He was more confident in the Clean and Jerk as he put 215 kg on the table for his first attempt, one of the highest weights of this rounds, but after some of his contenders had lifted their first attempt he lowered it to 208 kg, he stepped onto the platform and jerked it successfully, for his second attempt he faced a 216 kg bar, he pulled right under the bar and then jerked, resulting in a good lift, for the third attempt he had 218 kg written on the table, but then changed it to 220 kg but his third attempt resulted in a “no lift”.

Even after his failed third attempt at the Clean and Jerk, Don’s 216 kg lift led him to a bronze medal, and with his 170 kg Snatch added 386 kg to his total, placing him in 6th place overall.

About Don Opeloge

Born in Samoa in May 1999, this weightlifter has a long record of winning competitions on the weightlifting world, such as a gold medal in the 2019 IWF Junior World Championship in the 89 kg category with a 349 kg total, a gold medal in the Oceania Senior Championship in 2021 on the 96 kg category with a 159 kg Snatch, a 200 kg Clean and Jerk and a 359 kg total.

Opeloge, together with tens of competitors came to Qatar to show power and speed in the 102 kg category, if you want to read all the details on this category make sure to visit our recap here, and while you’re at it, be sure to check out day to day recap and analysis of the whole IWF Grand Prix II event.