252 Split Jerk From the Racks: Akbar Djuraev Sends a Message Ahead of Worlds
Author:
The road to Førde
Seven weeks out from the 2025 IWF World Championships in Førde, Norway (Oct 2–11), the prep lifts are getting loud and heavy. Expect a packed field and new-look leaderboards under the IWF’s post-Paris bodyweight reset.
This Worlds will be the first senior global meet fully contested in the new eight men’s and eight women’s categories, a change that reshuffles rivalries and pulls former 102 kg and 109 kg stars into adjacent classes.
Akbar being Akbar
On August 14, 2025 Olympic champion Akbar Djuraev posted a 252 kg split jerk from racks on his Instagram. A clear signal that his overhead strength is right where he wants it.
Context matters: Djuraev’s Olympic clean & jerk record in Tokyo was 237 kg, and he’s previously shown a 245 kg clean & jerk in training. Some time ago he already hitted 151 kilos. Hitting 252 kg from the racks doesn’t equal a clean and jerk on platform, but it does underline that his jerk ceiling remains one of the highest in weight category.
What This Means For His Class
With the IWF’s new categories, the former 109 kg tier essentially maps to 110 kg. That means the 110s in Førde could blend ex-109s who stay put with some 102s moving up, an intriguing mix for attempt selection and late-night scoreboard drama. Djuraev’s weight now is about 115 kilos, but we expect him to cut a bit before competition and to perform in 110 kg category.
Djuraev’s range across classes is proven: he won Tokyo 109 kg with that 193 Snatch, 237 Clean and Jerk and 430 Total Olympic record and then took silver in Paris at 102 kg with 185/219/404 kilos result.
At his last major event so far (Asian Championships 2025) Akbar secured Gold with 183 Snatch, 223 Clean and Jerk and 406 Total in 109kg category.
Check Akbar’s Performances on the previous major events in front of Torokhtiy Media’s cameras:
Final thoughts
A jerk from the rack won’t show us the full picture, but can foreshadow how an athlete is ready to win.
Between the new categories, Weightlifting World Championship in Førde is perfectly set for statement lifts. Pencil in 110 kg as a must-watch session.
About Torokhtiy Weightlifting Media
Torokhtiy Weightlifting will be on the ground in Førde with our Torokhtiy Media Team with eyes and cameras rolling: warm-ups, competition, interviews and the many other details you can’t see from the broadcast.
What do you want us to cover most? Drop your requests in the comments and we’ll build our Worlds coverage around them.
🔻Find Your Best Training: Take Our Quiz!
Are you ready to learn and grow? Take our simple quiz to discover the right training program for you. Let us help you succeed — click below to start the quiz!
Author: Hladkova Vladyslava
Media Team Member
Best Results: Snatch – 57 kg,
C&J – 73 kg
I’m Vladyslava, and sport has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Over the past 10 years, I’ve explored it all – from CrossFit and powerlifting to running a half marathon. But my true passion found its home in Olympic weightlifting.
I’m proud to be a Ukrainian Weightlifting Champion (2018) and a prize winner of national championships in 2018–2019. My best lifts? A 57 kg snatch and a 73 kg clean & jerk in the 51 kg weight class. I’m also a Candidate for Master of Sports in weightlifting – and I’m still chasing new goals every day.
Beyond training, I’ve earned two Master’s degrees: one in Sport Management and another in Physical Education. Whether I’m lifting a barbell or helping others grow in sport, I’m all in – because for me, sport isn’t just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.