Arturs Sliede - 540 kg!

23.11.1970 (Rīgas Balss)

There were a few spectators in the weightlifting hall of the Dinamo sports center yesterday. The main attention in the announced record-breaking competitions was on Dinamo heavyweights Artūrs Sliedes and Vilis Pērkons.

Artūrs Sliede was very successful, who was warmly greeted after the competition by his coach M. Fraifelds and veteran V. Šmīdbergs. Sliede is the first of our athletes who was able to lift 540 kg in the heavyweight category!  He improved his previous Latvian record by 17.5 kg. Already in the first exercise - the clean and jerk, the RPI instructor lifted 186 kg and improved his record by 8.5 kg . In the snatch, the record remained unbeaten, but the result was good - 150 kg. In the clean and jerk, Sliede first lifted 195 kg, then  just as easily lifted 205 kg and improved his record by 2 kg .

Is the record-breaking year over yet? Artūrs Sliede replied: «In December, the USSR Cup will be held in Dnepropetrovsk. I want to fight for the bronze medal, but then 540 kg probably won't be enough...»

V. Pērkons reached 490 kg in the 1st heavyweight triathlon. Only in the snatch did he repeat J. Baltgalvys' republican record - 145.5 kg.