Gathered in Columbus, Ohio this past weekend were some of USA’s best weightlifters, training at Rogue Fitness HQ. You know some epic things are bound to happen, when you put athletes of this level all in one training area. But one has stood out among the others: Wes Kitts, with a 180kg snatch — which is 5kg over his American record. For anyone who’s not familiar with kilograms, 180kg is almost 400 pounds.
The record holder — who used to play football and also has a background in functional fitness — is a 105kg lifter. While he didn’t start lifting right away, his experience apparently worked in his favor, considering his record-breaking 175kg snatch. At this year’s Senior Pan Am Championships, he won silver for snatch and total; and his clean and jerk isn’t far from breaking records, either.
Anyone with decent experience with Olympic weightlifting can really appreciate this. As you advance in the sport and become more proficient, the PRs come less and less frequently. You might go years without your lifts moving up. That makes Kitts’ accomplishment all the more impressive. Check it out below.
There’s no doubt we can expect some impressive numbers from Kitts at the 2017 International Weightlifting Federation World Weightlifting Championships, happening at the Anaheim, California Convention Center from November 28 through December 5.
Main image: Wes Kitts/Instagram
