Van Ulft is the youngest person to double his body weight and jerk in competition.
In some ways, Canadian athlete Rory Van Ulft may be one of the strongest competitors of his age that weightlifting and powerlifting have seen in some time. At just 9 years old, Van Ulft has developed a reputation for having impeccable pulling power (literally and figuratively) with a barbell in hand and an “iron will,” especially with her deadlift. The athlete’s latest official addition to her weightlifting rap sheet, featuring a remarkable overhead lift, is yet another entry in the development of her budding career.
On January 21, 2023, Van Ulft captured a 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) clean & jerk During the 2023 Variety Village Open in Toronto, Canada. According to a caption on a video of the feat from Van Ulft’s Instagram, facilitated by a parent/administrator, Van Ulft had a bodyweight of 32.8 kilograms (72.4 pounds) on the day of the competition. In turn, this makes Van Ulft the youngest person, regardless of gender, to successfully complete a clean and jerk. Double their body weight during sanctioned competition. Not to be outdone, Sinclair’s final total of 254.39 — the International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) primary tool for contextualizing an athlete’s strength by weight class — was officially confirmed by Van Ulft. The 40-kilogram was the best performance by a female competitor.
Aside from the mind-blowing feat for someone her young age, Van Ulft’s clean and jerk wasn’t her only major accomplishment from the Toronto competition. According to the same Instagram caption, the athlete broke six Canadian provincial 15U and 17U records in previous lifts during the competition. A final double-body weight clean & jerk acts like gravy layered on an already rich day for a young elite competitor.
The parents/administrators of Van Ulft’s Instagram have credited some of the people who coached Van Ulft to enjoy such a productive day while simultaneously making history. They included the athlete’s trainer, Spencer Moorman, who can be seen in the background of Van Ulft’s milestone clip encouraging the lifter. Others hailing coaches include “Sierra” (last name not disclosed) and Van Ulft’s native Ottawa, Canada’s CANAM strength and conditioning teams. The Ontario Weightlifting Association (ONWA) also got a shout out.
“Huge thanks to coach [Moorman] (Who deserves to win coach of the year in at least one country for this!) [Cierra]And complete [CANAM Strength and Conditioning] team for their incredible support in this event, as well [Ontario Weightlifting Association] For organizing such a fun and welcoming event! “
For context on the American scale regarding Van Ulft’s new accomplishments and results, the athlete’s 66-kilogram (145.5-pound) clean & jerk is eight kilograms (17.6 pounds) more than the USA Weightlifting (USAW) Youth Women’s 40-kilogram record. Weight class. Kendra Hoover holds the mark with a clean and jerk of 58 kilograms (127.8 pounds). However, Hoover spotted her lift when she was 12, roughly three years older than Van Ulft.
The year 2023 has just begun, and van Ulft is already pioneering training for his age group and beyond. If the athlete starts the new calendar this way, only time will tell if she can achieve other glittering heights through the following 11 months.
Featured Image: @roryvanulft on Instagram
