Topic: News: Holley Mangold Makes USA Jr World Team with 3 Months Training

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Link

Holley Mangold Makes USA Junior World Team with Three Months Training

Holley Mangold has accomplished something in four meets that most of her competitors have worked years to achieve.

The 18-year-old from Centerville, Ohio, recently qualified for the Junior World Weightlifting Championships to be held June 11-18 in Cali, Colombia. The competition is a proving ground for Olympic-style weightlifters from around the world.

"She has only been doing this since last June, and she's one of the top three junior lifters in the country," Chris Cleary, Mangold's coach, said. "Her technique isn't great, but she is as strong as an ox."

[attachimg=1]
Holley Mangold has been a competitive weightlifter for less than a year but quickly is
establishing herself on a national level. Photo By Joseph Fuqua II

Mangold, who works out at the Cincinnati Weightlifting Club in Fairfield, has qualified to step up a level in each of the four meets in which she has competed. She earned her spot at the world championships last Sunday in Chattanooga, Tenn., at her first USA Weightlifting Junior National Championship meet.

"It's crazy," Mangold said. "There was a girl at nationals that has been doing this for eight years, and here I am after only doing these lifts (competitively) for three months. Coach Cleary has taught me everything I know about this type of lifting, which might not look like much now, but we're working on it."

At nationals, Mangold had five lifters in her 75-plus kilograms (165.3-plus pounds) weight class, all with more experience and qualifying totals within 9 kg (19.8 pounds) of each other.

After the completion of her three snatch attempts, Mangold led the competition by only 3 kg (6.6 pounds). She missed her first clean-and-jerk attempt but posted a 102 kg (224 pounds) on her second to move into first place.

She finished with a 185 kg (407.8-pound) total and a place on the Junior World Championship team.

Next for Mangold is the Senior National Championships at the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus Feb. 29-March 2. Because her opponents will be more mastered, Mangold is ranked eighth in the competition, lower than in any of her previous competitions.

"When I told her, it opened her eyes a little," Cleary said. "She's on the radar, though, which is a good thing. If she puts up good numbers at the Arnold, being ranked where she's at, it's going to turn some heads."

Mangold knows the competition will continue to get tougher and she won't be able to rely on strength alone to get by. She's been working on her technique.

"Those girls at nationals were like machines the way they were putting the weight up," she said. "Coach and I have been working a lot on my form, and he has taught me a new grip. I think there'll be a big difference between how I looked in Chattanooga and the way I will in Columbus."

Cleary agrees and sees Mangold advancing up the ranks of Olympic-style weightlifting.

"With Holley, it's just been straight up from Day 1," he said. "She's come so far on her natural talent. If she gets the technique down and keeps at it, you'll see her in the Olympics. She's that good."