The IWF posted an interesting article last week (written by Brian Oliver) about which Jr World champions from 2021 went on to medal at or win the 2024 Olympics and then talking about which Jr World champions from last month might win the 2028 Olympics. It’s an interesting read which you can find here.
We’ve summarized it below for you too. 👇
Several athletes who became junior world champions in 2021 in Tashkent went on to claim Olympic gold in Paris:
- Rizki Juniansyah (Indonesia)
- Olivia Reeves (United States)
Other 2021 Junior World Champions who competed at Paris 2024 included:
- Sergio Massidda (Italy)
- Muhammed Furkan Ozbek (Turkey)
- Garik Karapetyan (Armenia)
- Kamila Konotop (Ukraine)
- Hristo Hristov (Bulgaria)
Standout Performers from 2024 Junior World Championships in León, Spain
This year’s Junior World Championships featured several potential stars for the LA 2028 Olympics:
- Shahzadbek Matyakubov (Turkmenistan): Men’s 102kg winner, broke world records, and ranked as the top male lifter in León.
- Kwon Dae Hee (Korea): Ranked second overall, nearly matched Karlos Nasar’s clean and jerk junior record at 81kg.
- Chen Guan-Ling (Taiwan): Dominated the 55kg category, breaking multiple junior world records and surpassing her senior world champion total by 14kg.
- Ingrid Segura (Colombia): 64kg champion, ranked second in female rankings.
- Charlotte Simoneau (Canada): 71kg champion, ranked third overall among female lifters.
Future Prospects for LA 2028
- The United States, with three lifters—Ella Nicholson, Katie Estep, and Miranda Ulrey—ranked in the women’s top six, continues building a strong team for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
- Hampton Morris (USA), a Paris 2024 medalist and current senior world record holder, is also a key talent to watch.
With four years to develop further, these athletes could be strong contenders for the LA 2028 Olympic podium.
