Sergio Massidda at the WWC 2023 in Riyadh: 21-year-old perspective lifter with great ambitions is a big hope for Italy at the WWC in Riyadh [Interview]
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On the Day 8 of the Qualifying event at the WWC 2023 in Riyadh, we had an interview with a highly promising and powerful young weightlifter from Italy Sergio Massidda competing in the Men’s 61 kg weight division. Find out what makes this talented athlete extremely competitive among supposed leaders even in the heavyweight divisions.
At the WWC in Riyadh, he impressed everyone with his performance: he took two silver medals in Snatch and total in the Men’s 61 kg weight division. After taking 4th place in the last World Championships 2023, one step before the podium, his coach changed the training approach to improve the results. He didn’t have a dream to take silver, he just wanted to get a medal.
The world lifting community noticed a 17-year-old athlete who clinched gold in the Men’s 55 kg at the Youth World Competition 2018. Last year in Albania he took his first silver medal at the Senior Europeans. For Italy, it was a great achievement since nobody succeeded in getting silver in this weight class and lifting over 300 kg total.
Read the full report about each day of the Weightlifting at 2024 Olympics prepared by our media team. Don’t miss the opportunity to stay updated and follow this great event in the Olympic weightlifting world with us from the very beginning till the end!
About incredible results and workout regime of the Italian team
By the way, in the last three years, he added 50 kilos in total without any changes and not switching to another weight class. Sergio explains that the reason is the absence of vacation, no parties, and persistent everyday training help to get such results. The training schedule looks like this: a 20-hour training week of everyday lifts with two sessions.
Speaking about Massidda’s power and technique, such incredible results were gained due to his first coach Sebastiano Corbu. Since Sergio started his Olympic weightlifting path eight years ago, his physical and mental condition become growing significantly. The main focus is not just for gaining power, but also for developing a perfect technique and understanding his body.
Considering Sergio’s sports journey, we can say that with ultimate dedication, resilience, and passion dreams can turn into reality. We asked him about what advice he could give himself at the start of his weightlifting career. The answer was “to live for yourself and work hard” because all that he gained for now is thanks to great effort and persistence. He also added that during training sessions he concentrates most on lifting more kilos.
About the ambitious plans for the Olympic Games in Paris
With numerous wins under his belt, his biggest ambition for now is the Olympic Games in Paris. We asked Massidda what is of the highest priority for him now – improving his Snatch and Clean & Jerk results, or just do everything to get gold on the podium. The answer was quite clear: for the moment, the results are crucial to qualify for the Olympics. His team focuses on the qualification and not on the medal.
The next question was about his strong side. Sergio said without hesitating that his legs are his strongest side, while the weak point is performing a deadlift. He explained that he lifts just 220 kg and 200 kg in Clean Pull for one rep. The lifter also admitted that he likes Snatch more than C&J. He added that the most problematic in Clean & Jerk for him is doing Jerk because of lack in proper technique.
A curious question about the music Sergio prefers: he said that rap and reggaeton are his favourite music directions he’s listening during training sessions.
To conclude, this skinny, but powerful Italian lifter made a great sensation in the weightlifting community. Asking about his dream, he said shorty “be an Olympic champion, in Paris”. For the upcoming Olympic Games, he’ll literally lift the hopes of the whole Italy.
The world is watching and history awaits for the great achievements and revealing new winners. Subscribe to our updates and stay tuned on the next interviews on our channel.
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Author: Tanya Shaiko
News Editor, Olympic Lifting Enthusiast
Best Results: Snatch – 61 kg,
C&J – 78 kg
I’m Tanya, and I just can’t do without fitness. About six years ago, I got into Olympic weightlifting and instantly fell in love with it. Weightlifting is like no other sport – it’s just you versus the bar. Driven by my unwavering passion for an active lifestyle, I’ve been eager to share my personal journey and sports enthusiasm with others. As a journalist and photographer, my interests come full circle, adding an extra dimension to the news column that I curate. This way, I keep my readers updated with the latest happenings in the sports world.