WCHM Members return victorious

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Team Canada – WCHM Members return victorious from the 2023 Pan American Masters Championships

 

Despite the controversies in the USA Weightlifting World, the American host (USA Masters Weightlifting) continues to produce Championships which are very impressive to our Canadian athletes. This year our teams did well competing against their formidable American counterparts. Each Canadian Team had a mixture of experienced international masters athletes and first time competitors. Our WCHM members are very proud of each and every one of our athletes. Although they are all deserving of our attention, in this brief congratulatory article, allow me to highlight one of our Team members.

 

Isabelle Gauthier joined the Canadian Masters in 2017. She impressed us all with her Gold medal winnings at the 2018, 2019, 2021, and 2022 World Masters Championships. She also won Gold at the 2019, and this year’s Pan American Masters Weightlifting Championships. As President, I designated Isabelle Gautheir and Mario Boucher as Guardians of their Teams’ second place Awards. Isabelle is from Montréal, trains out of Force Vive Weightlifting Club and is Coached by Evgueni Romanov. I know he is as proud of Isabelle as we are. Mario is from Beloeil, Québec and trains out of La Machine Rouge. Isabelle’s Team Canada included Cybèle Lanthier (QC), Manon Poulin (QC), Caroline Darveau (QC), Sylvie Guénette (ON), Jeanette Perry (BC), Gabrielle Schmidt (QC), Jil Reid (SK), Saret Wijaya (ON) and Judy Quinn (ON). Isabelle broke records in all the Olympic lifts. Her records are : Snatch 64 kg, Clean and Jerk 86 kg and Total 150 kg. The current records were 50/58/107.

 

Mario Boucher’s Team Canada included Guillaume Arcand (QC), Tin Ly (QC), Michel Piétracupa (QC), Craig Astle (SK), Ahmed Alterkait (SK), Kevin Wood (NB), Tim McAuliffe (ON), and James Pineault (ON). In these photos you will see Sylvie Guénette and Tim McAuliffe, another dedicated weightlifting couple proudly displaying their medals. Sylvie was coached by Manon Poulin, who stepped in and coached several Canadian athletes. Manon, along with Judy Quinn have been World Masters Participants for decades. And of course, a picture of Isabelle Gauthier with the two Canadian Team Awards.

 

At the time of this article, other records were also broken. Craig Astle (SK) 98 kg Snatch; Gabrielle Schmidt (QC) Clean and Jerk 101 kg and total of 178 kg; Sylvie Guénette (ON) Snatch 51 kg; and Judy Quinn (ON) Snatch 29 kg, Clean and Jerk 37 kg and Total of 66 kg, all new World Records. Many of these athletes are now preparing for the Canadian Masters Weightlifting Championships, being held in Midland, Ontario from July 14 to 16. Some of these athletes are planning to compete in Warsaw, Poland at the 2023 World Masters Weightlifting Championships

 

Tim and Sylvie with medals
Tim and Sylvie with medals
Sylvie and Coach Manon Poulin
Sylvie and Coach Manon Poulin
Gabrielle Schmidt receives her Gold Medal (1)
Gabrielle Schmidt receives her Gold Medal (1)
Isabelle displays the Team Awards
Isabelle displays the Team Awards