Two Launceston strong-girls are ready to carry their weight for the state at the Australian Weightlifting Federation's Under-15 and Youth Championships this weekend.
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Junior athletes Jorja Love and Adeline-Jane Richardson, of St Patrick's College, were excited to be representing the state for nationals, which are being held in Hobart between July 2 and 4.
"I'm very nervous, but it should be fun and a good experience to just be in a different environment," 16-year-old Richardson said.
Love said she'd dabbled in other sports her whole life, but found her calling in weightlifting.
"I was looking for something different, because never used to stick with anything," the 17-year-old said.
"My sister's boyfriend at the time was going Olympic weightlifting and suggested I give it a try, and I've been doing it ever since."
Richardson, on the other hand, was introduced to the niche sport after giving crossfit a try with her mother.
"I did crossfit for a few years, and they started introducing weightlifting," she said.
"So I joined their club and then started competing.
"It's pretty cool, not many other people do it so it's pretty exciting."
The pair will be competing in two weightlifting disciplines: snatch as well as clean and jerk.
"Basically, you have to do a good lift," Love said.
"There's three judges and you have to get at least two white lights which are two yeses.
"You lose the lift if you can't complete it or if you have a press-out - which is where your elbow locks, unlocks, then locks back in again.
"And obviously if you don't complete the lift or bail out you also lose.
"The form is basically the main thing that's judged, and then the weight is up to each person."
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The nationals will run at the Weightlifting Academy of Tasmania in Hobart at various times across the three days.
While Tasmania's borders remain closed to a number of states and territories due to COVID-19 outbreaks, participants are still able to take part in the nationals online.
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Nominations are open from Wednesday, April 14, and will close at midnight on October 4.
Entries must include a photograph of the entrant.