Record Again in Riga

20.05.1972 (Sports)

The burden of fame is never light. As soon as the sun is no longer at its zenith, clouds of doubt appear in the distance. And it is not so easy to dispel them. Gennady Ivanchenko probably felt this too. He had not suffered a single loss in two years. Then only silver in the national championships, then Valery Shary's fantastic 527.5 kg... And Gennady didn't even have any USSR records left. 

- How is Ivanchenko, what about Ivanchenko? - the sports pundits were saying. And rumors were circulating. But a real man shows himself at work.

A weightlifting competition was held in the gym of the Riga Civil Aviation Engineering Institute. This event was dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the VI Lenin Pioneer Organization. 

There was less interest in the other men. Everyone was waiting to see what Ivanchenko would show. 

Gennady's weight - 82.2 kg. First attempt in the bench press - 167.5 kg. In the second - 172.5. And then one stop, another, and the weight must be lowered... In the third attempt, the pace is good, but the test attempts are over.

And then on the bar 178.5 kg - 0.5 kg more than the world record set by V. Shari on May 14. Yes, this was Gennady's most excellent move.

The traditional weighing of the participants is exactly 82.5 kg. So within the norm.

The snatch was declared at 147.5 kg. 

- What's the matter, grumbled teammate heavyweight Artūrs Sliede . - I saw that behind the scenes Gennady lifted 130 kg well, 140 - he dropped.

This time the worries were misplaced. The starting weight was easily lifted. At 152.5 kg, it was threateningly wobbly. But a polyphonic cry: Rise!, and the weight is fixed.

The barbell is on the scales again. The referees put 156 kg.

- He's like a stick, - commented Artūrs Sliede . 

And then the unexpected happened. After Gennady received congratulations, it turned out that this weight was just a new national and repeated world record. 156 kg had already been lifted by Bulgarian athlete S. Rusev on April 4 of this year.

In the second attempt at the clean and jerk, Gennady rushed to push from the chest, and at 195 kg he had to go again. This time the attempt was truly commendable. And so a new world record, a new All-Union record and a great triathlon total - 522.5 kg.

V. Pērkons, competing in the first heavyweight category, set a new republican record in the snatch - 152.5kg.

V. Koks