Russian weightlifting champion Kashirina returns to international competition insidethegames.biz - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from insidethegames.biz Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
The Olympic medal chances of athletes from around the world have
changed dramatically after China decided not to select Rio 2016 gold
medallist Deng Wei, its leading female athlete in the Tokyo 2020
rankings.
Thursday, 8 April 2021
Iryna Dekha of Ukraine took advantage of the absence of Lidia Valentin to win gold at the European Weightlifting Championships in Moscow and effectively confirm her place as Europe’s top qualifier in the women’s 76 kilograms for Tokyo 2020.
Valentin had a serious bout of gastroenteritis at the weekend and had to go to hospital rather than fly to Moscow.
It was a controversial success for Dekha, as the Russian teenager Iana Sotieva thought she had won by making her final clean and jerk of 137kg.
Sotieva, 18, the European youth champion, screamed and jumped with delight after hearing the buzzer but her effort was judged a no lift , presumably for a press out.