Topic: Video: Chris LeRoux snatches 110 & CJ's 153@60 in 1991 American Open

[Pete Church]

Great lifts Chris!!!! Did you know that day that you'd be going for the record?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Pete,

Thanks. Yes, I knew I was going to break the records. In fact, I was so anxious to do it that I didn't sleep the night before I lifted at all, which probably made it a lot harder than it would have been. It also caused my coach Dragomir Cioroslan, who was sharing my room, some lost sleep. Of course, the bed(s) and pillow(s) at the National Sports Center in Blaine was the worst I have ever laid down in. I might have done better to just try and sleep on the floor. 

[Paul LaDuke]

That 110 snatch looked easy!  It looks like you had the ability to do more.  That was awesome!  What was your actual body weight that day?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Paul,

Honestly I have no idea. Neither Bryan Jacob nor Thanh Nguyen was competing so it is likely I was very, very close to the limit since there was no competition except the bar.

Thanks

[Shaun Le Conte]

I see there was some major competition in that weight class, 3 lifters all around 260 kg total. And later, Bryan Jacobs would total 270@59 which was really impressive. I remember reading in an issue of IOL that Jacobs had a 4.0 GPA in a tough academic program (maybe engineering?), must be a really well rounded person

When I saw your lifts in the above video Chris, it made my wonder why you did not go to the 1992 Olympics. Certainly they looked worthy

How close was your 155 kg attempt at the 1992 Nationals?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Yes, it was a very bad decision for me to move up to the 60s at that time. But, thats hindsight, and I was on a roll.  There was no competition in the 56s and I would have had an easier time making the Olympics. Bryan Jacob went to Georgia Tech and studied engineering as I recall.

Other than that, the USAW also created two brand new rules specifically for me and Tom Gough which put us at a significant disadvantage in making the Olympic Team. At the time, several events were added as Olympic qualifiers and since we were juniors, there were complaints we would have more chances than the seniors to get our best total (Jr Nats and Jr Worlds). Of course, making weight and travel made such an assertion completely incorrect. We were forced to choose which two events would count as our qualifier (jr nats, sr nats, jr worlds, Olympic Trials, etc). Jr Worlds (Bulgaria) was like ten days or less from the Olympic Trials and as a returning medalist and one expected to represent our country (couldn't say no to Jr Worlds) I was forced to chose them as my final qualifier despite it not being in my interest.

At the Jr Worlds, all the spotlights that were on me suddenly went out the moment I began the snatch I needed to make the Team (when combined with an achievable CJ). There is no way I could have made the lift, a weight I had done in comp before and was fully prepared to do, with that happening. It is not explainable how much impact it had. I didn't even know what happened. I thought the platform broke. They refused me another lift. I then had to CJ just a little too much. It was close as I recall but I don't really remember. Its all a fog.

Jim Schmitz, who was there and was on the BOD, said it wasn't fair and would ask the BOD to let me lift at the Olympic Trials. It was never voted on and they said I could lift as a guest lifter only, though they didn't ever even tell me this. I was told at weigh-ins by Jim Schmitz's athlete Than Nguyen who was perplexed why I was weighing in under the circumstances. I didn't want to lift as it seemed pointless, I was pretty depressed, I was really sick from travel and cutting weight, but Dragomir pretty much "forced" me. I wasn't in to it and didn't lift enough even if it had counted. I believe I had the 155 jerk I would have needed it it counted locked out overhead and couldn't stand still until I ran out of platform room behind me and had to let it go.

In addition, they made a rule saying my competitors only had to tie what I did at the Jr Worlds to move ahead of me- which I think was about as ridiculous and unfair as life gets.

Cheers

[Shaun Le Conte]

I was looking for this video so I could watch it again. Maybe others would like to see it as well, an epic lift. Awesome.
Much more interesting to me in particular because I prefer to lift in a similar weight class
I knew your name 19 years ago Chris even though I was just 14 years old and not even involved in weightlifting (though I did have a subscription to IOL)

 Are you willing to post this video (or your 137.5@56, if you have it) into your youtube account?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Shaun,

Thanks for the kind words. I'll think about posting them on YT. I don't have an objection but don't really have any desire to do so either.

Cheers