MOULTRIE – Colquitt Christian Academy Cavaliers Asher and Neil Fountain showcased their strength and skill at the 2024 North American Open Olympic Weightlifting Championship finals held December 5-8, in Tucson, Arizona.
The competition featured two events, the snatch and the clean and jerk, each requiring a combination of power and technique.
The snatch involves lifting the bar from the floor to arms length overhead in one swift motion.
The clean and jerk is a test of endurance and precision as the barbell is lifted overhead in two continuous motions – the clean, which brings the bar to the shoulders, and the jerk, in which the athlete raises the bar overhead.
Asher, an eighth-grader, emerged as a star in the finals.
His strength and technique earned him three gold medals, lifting 86 kg/190 pounds in the snatch and an impressive 103 kg/227 pounds in the clean and jerk.
His total weight lifted for the competition was 189 kg/416 pounds.
Neil, a promising sixth-grader, also shone brightly, winning three gold medals.
His snatch weight was 45 kg/99 pounds and in clean and jerk, he lifted 60 kg/132 pounds.
Neil’s total weight was 105 kg/231 pounds.
Both Fountains, with the support of their community, train under Matt Cannon at South Georgia Barbell and will compete in The Arnold in Columbus, Ohio, from February 27-March 2.