News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Ryan Hudson goes for a lift at the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy. photo provided
Sisters weightlifter Ryan Hudson placed fifth at the World Masters Games in Torino, Italy earlier this month, in an intensely competitive 35- to 39-year-old, 69-kg (152-pound) class.
Hudson was coming off a record-breaking performance at the 23rd Annual University of Oregon State Weightlifting Classic in Eugene in June, where he broke the state snatch record by 10kg at 107.5kg (236.5 pounds). He also broke the state clean & jerk record by 17.5kg at 137.5kg (303 pounds).
Hampered by an ankle injury, he was unable to quite match that performance. His 226kg total was enough for the fifth-place finish.
An Italian lifter named Mauricio Bombari shattered records on his way to placing first, beating the previous record by 25 kilos at with a 280 kg total in snatch and clean & jerk. The German lifter, Daniel Brauer, who placed second surpassed the record by 10 kilos with a 255 total for both lifts.
"The guy who placed third (Enderson Ramirez of Venezula) was the current world masters record-holder," Hudson noted. "He placed third and he posted a lifetime best (245).
"245 kg was what I posted at state, so that's kinda where I wanted to be," Hudson said.
Hudson knew that the competition was going to be tough as soon as he saw the roster. He knew the top lifters' recent totals and where he stood in comparison.
"You have a pretty good idea of where you're at going in," he said. "I knew going in it was the most competitive class they've ever had. I knew, well, the best of the best is coming out this year, which is a cool experience."
Another satisfying element of the experience is the ability to interact with elite athletes from a huge variety of sports and a wide range of cultures.
"Basically (the World Masters Games) is the age-based Olympics," Hudson explained.
Hudson missed two lifts due to his ankle injury, which he incurred during warm-ups. It's the breaks of the game, and Hudson isn't hanging his head. Instead, he found inspiration in watching Bombari's phenomenal performance.
"I just took a front-row seat and watched him lift," Hudson said. "That was one of the highlights of my trip. It shows me what is possible. There are guys who are older than me who are doing amazing things."
Hudson cut weight to make the 152-pound class, and he had to sustain that for two months. He won't be doing that again. While he may cut weight for a specific event, he plans to go into next years competitions at a more natural 170-pound weight. Based on the numbers, he would have been at least as competitive in that class as he was at 152.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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