Eighth

29.12.1970 (Sports)

This end of the year has been really productive for Latvian weightlifters. Records are falling, new members of the "five hundred club" are emerging, the kilograms lifted by strongmen are getting heavier and heavier. Recently we were happy about Guntis Kalns' 510. Just now about Vilis Pērkons' 500 kilograms. Not to mention the outstanding achievements of Aleksandrs Diņņikovs, Kārlis Pumpuriņš, Artūrs Sliede.

... The weightlifters of "Vārpa", whose core team trains in Jēkabpils, also did not want to remain empty. This year, due to the USSR Cup, the competitions of the strongest in the republic were not held. The people of Vārpa decided to organize their own. Where? Of course, in Jēkabpils. And, behold, Valdis Alksnītis from Jēkabpils became the first in his association and the eighth in the republic to become a member of the famous "five hundred" club. Starting in the second heavyweight, V. Alksnītis lifted 170, snatched 145, jerked 190 and collected 505 kg in the triathlon! Alksnītis' results in the snatch, clean and jerk are new records for "Vārpa". 

"Vārpa" CP weightlifting coach P. Jost said:

- Valdis has been lifting weights for ten years. He works as a compressor operator at the Jēkabpils meat processing plant. Both at work and in training, Valdis is very diligent and neat. He constantly trains under the guidance of J. Vītols. He has been aiming for 500 kg in the triathlon for a long time. We had planned this amount for the final tournament of the All-Union Rural Youth Sports Games in Chisinau, but we were not lucky there - only 482.5 kg. I think that 505 kg is not Valdis' last word.

Congratulations and we hope that P. Jost's words will come true.

L. Hermanis