Ito takes fourth at Jr. Pan Ams

MARQUETTE, MI — United States Olympic Education Center (USOEC) weightlifter Collin Ito of Bonsall placed fourth in the 105-plus kilograms weight class at the Junior Pan American weightlifting competition last weekend in Puerto Rico, where athletes from 13 countries vied for titles. The US team took second overall. Ito lifted 131 kilograms in the snatch and 171 kilograms in the clean and jerk, falling short of medaling in his first international competition.

Head USOEC weightlifting coach Ma Jianping was pleased with Ito’s performance, saying, “I’m satisfied with his results. This [competition] was good practice for him.”

Ito said the weather during the competition was not ideal.

“The hot and humid conditions were draining,” he explained. “There was no air conditioning in the building where we competed.”

Although he overcame the conditions, lifting a personal best of 170 kilograms in the snatch in a practice before the event, he was disappointed in his performance. “It is driving me to train harder for the American Open,” he said. The American Open will take place Dec. 2-4 in Kissimmee, FL.