On May 3, the third competition day of the 2025 IWF Youth (U17) and Junior (U20) World Weightlifting Championships took place in Lima, the capital of Peru. Eight sets of medals were awarded, with athletes from all five continents stepping onto the podium—from China to Nauru.
Representing Armenia, Narek Mkrtchyan competed in the men’s 81 kg junior (U20) category. He placed 4th in the snatch with 153 kg but failed to register a successful lift in the clean & jerk and therefore did not achieve a total.
The day ended with some symbolic highlights: China became the only country to secure two golds, and Albania celebrated its first-ever world champion — 17-year-old Enkeleda Kardja. She triumphed in the girls’ 64 kg category (U17), setting three new European Youth records: 98 kg in the snatch, 115 kg in the clean & jerk, and 213 kg in total. Kardja also claimed a bronze medal in the junior snatch event.
IWF President Mohammed Jalood stated:
“This shows how universal our sport is. Seeing Nauru on the podium alongside China and Albania sends a powerful message to the world.”
Day 3 Results (May 3)
Juniors (U20)
Men’s 73 kg:
Pak Ju Hyeon (South Korea) – 324 kg (147+177)
Tiberiu Donose (Romania) – 321 kg (145+176)
Mohammed Al-Marzouk (Saudi Arabia) – 316 kg (146+170)
Men’s 81 kg:
Shunnan Chen (China) – 346 kg (156+190)
Rakuye Azuma (Japan) – 340 kg (155+185)
Yerasyl Saulbekov (Kazakhstan) – 340 kg (150+190)
Women’s 59 kg:
Thanaporn Saetia (Thailand) – 211 kg (96+115)
Gelen Torres (Colombia) – 206 kg (93+113)
Maria Paz Casadevall (Argentina) – 204 kg (91+113)
Women’s 64 kg:
Liuye Yang (China) – 236 kg (106+130)
Yanfang Jiang (China) – 231 kg (105+126)
Sofia Shaft (USA) – 223 kg (97+126)
Youth (U17)
Men’s 73 kg:
Hussein Hamouda Abdelrahman (Egypt) – 306 kg (141+165)
Kakamyrat Annamyradov (Turkmenistan) – 290 kg (130+160)
Yernur Myrzakhmet (Kazakhstan) – 286 kg (131+155)
Men’s 81 kg:
Serhii Kotelevskyi (Ukraine) – 314 kg (142+172)
Didarbek Jumabayev (Turkmenistan) – 305 kg (137+168)
Maxims Vasilonoks (Latvia) – 297 kg (136+161)
Women’s 59 kg:
Kseniya Prozorova (Kazakhstan) – 199 kg (91+108)
Marjona Abdumutalova (Uzbekistan) – 190 kg (88+102)
Polina Pavlovich (AIN) – 189 kg (85+104)
Women’s 64 kg:
Enkeleda Kardja (Albania) – 213 kg (98+115)
Kristi Femili (Nauru) – 202 kg (92+110)
Seyede Hosseini (Iran) – 197 kg (86+111)