Saturday, 6 March 2021
More than 400 weightlifters have returned to the platform to compete live in Spain and the United States this weekend, raising hopes of a return to some sort of normality after a year lost to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Among them was Lidia Valentin, one of the world’s most popular weightlifters, who topped the standings in the Absolute Spanish Cup in Leon today, where the men’s winner was David Sanchez.
That event was restricted to the top 30 lifters in Spain, 15 men and 15 women, across all weight categories and was televised live on the
La Liga channel.
In Salt Lake City, Utah, nearly 400 athletes opted to lift in person and another 600 chose to compete virtually at what is believed to be the first hybrid international competition in any sport.