Ayo Victor

DOHA: Qatar finished the 10th FISU World University Weightlifting Championship Doha 2026 on a high note, winning three gold medals on the final day of the five-day competition hosted by Qatar Foundation.

The championships brought together around 116 male and female athletes from 21 countries, providing a global platform for university weightlifting while further highlighting Qatar’s growing experience in hosting major international sporting events.

The final day at the Education City Student Center featured four weight classes — the women’s 86kg and over-86kg categories and the men’s 110kg and over-110kg divisions.

Qatar’s Wissal Yakhlef was the standout performer, sweeping all three gold medals in the women’s over-86kg category. She lifted 125kg in the snatch and 155kg in the clean and jerk for a combined total of 280kg.

South Korea’s Yoo Hyo-bin claimed all three silver medals with a total of 248kg, while Slovakia’s Lenka Zembova secured the three bronze medals after recording 102kg in the snatch, 127kg in the clean and jerk and 229kg overall.

Yakhlef described her treble as an important milestone in her career, attributing her success to extensive preparation, concentration and hard work.

She said the championship represented the final stage of her preparation before joining Qatar’s national delegation for the weightlifting competition at the Aichi-Nagoya 2026 Asian Games in Japan, which begin next week.

In the women’s 86kg category, Chinese Taipei’s Yu-Lin Peng also swept the gold medals, posting 107kg in the snatch, 125kg in the clean and jerk and 232kg overall. South Korea’s Yubin Hong won three silver medals, while Moldova’s Anastasia Balici took the bronze medals.

American George Upmeyer dominated the men’s 110kg category, winning gold in all three disciplines with a 369kg total. Romania’s Paul Ionita took silver in the clean and jerk and overall, while American Caleb Wicklund won silver in the snatch.

Iraq’s Mustafa Jabbar completed another clean sweep in the men’s over-110kg category, lifting 170kg in the snatch and 212kg in the clean and jerk for 382kg overall.

The championships concluded with a closing ceremony featuring a parade of participating nations’ flags and elements of Qatari culture.

Qatar Collegiate Sports Federation Secretary-General Rashid Saeed Adiba thanked athletes, delegations, officials, volunteers and organisers, saying the championships went beyond competition by promoting fair play, cultural exchange, friendship and understanding.

FISU International Supervisory Committee member Sarita Morales Brenes also praised Qatar’s organising efforts and thanked athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and media representatives.

The FISU flag was subsequently handed over to Albania, which will host the 11th edition of the championships in 2028.