Leowell finishes 3rd in 2024 Oceania Weightlifting Champs

Weightlifter Leowell Cristobal struck first in the medal haul for the six-man CNMI Weightlifting Federation team with a bronze medal in the 2024 Oceania Senior, Junior, and Youth Championships that was held in Auckland, New Zealand from Feb. 17 to 25.

In the senior men’s 67-kg weight class, the U.S. Air Force airman airlifted a 100-kg snatch and 137 kg in the clean & jerk for a total of 237 kg weight lifted.

It was deja vu as gold was claimed by Samoan Vaipava Nevo Ioane’s 282-kg overall lift, and silver went to Nauru’s Ditto Ika who lifted a total of 255 kg. It was a repeat of the 67-kg clean & jerk podium finish in the 2023 Pacific Games last November in the Solomon Islands.

Cristobal said of the competition, “the competition atmosphere was electric and I was having fun out there.” His 100-kg snatch and 237-kg total is now his new personal bests for international competitions.

He thanked his family and friends for cheering him on and the CNMI Weightlifting Federation for allowing him to compete and represent the CNMI.

“I also want to thank Angel San Nicolas for helping me throughout my competition, making sure I was ready to hit my lifts on the stage, and Aiden Gimed for pushing me in training,” said the 25-year-old.

“Lastly, I want to give a happy advance birthday to my dad and anniversary to my parents!” he said.

Before the 2024 Oceania Championships, he competed in the 2023 International Weightlifting Federation Grand Prix II, which was held on Dec. 4-14 in Doha, Qatar.

He failed to reach the podium but competed against the best in the sport and placed ninth in the clean & jerk portion with a best of 138 kg. He placed 12th in the snatch lift with a best of 94 kg.

There, he was “happy” with his performance and said, “I’m grateful to be given the opportunity to compete amongst the best in the world. There’s a lot of lessons learned for sure that I took with me in helping me improve and be prepared for the 2024 Oceania Championships.”