Currently ranked 2nd in the Commonwealth (1st in 2004) Current Australian ranking – 1st
Simon became involved in weightlifting as a schoolboy in Malvern. He was a junior record holder & national champion on many occasions. With a career spanning 15 years, of both national & international successes, his biggest achievement was winning three bronze medals at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998.
Simon was unable to attend the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester, as he had to have surgery for a hernia and was unable to recover to a competitive level in time. He was again disappointed when Australia was under- represented at the 2004 Athens Olympics with only one man and one woman attending.
Simon joined Phoenix Weightlifting Club in June 2003, leaving Hawthorn to join former champions Robert Kabbas and Ivan Katz.
At 31, Simon is a positive role model for his sport. He is to be admired for being outspoken on the use of drugs in weightlifting and the damage it has done to the public’s perception of the sport. Most Athletes would do better to follow Simon’s ethical & moral lead of not sacrificing your principles to win at all costs.
Simon has competed in all three qualifying events. The Commonwealth, Oceania & South Pacific Championships, The 2005 National Championships on October 28-30 in Queensland, followed by the Commonwealth Games Trials on December 17, 2005. The trials were held at competition venue, the Melbourne Exhibition Centre.
The weightlifting team, which was finalised on February 7th, spent 3 weeks at Australian Institute of Sport on a pre-Games training camp. The team consisted of 8 men and 7 women. Winning 10 medals from a total of 14 competitors was a terrific result for Australian weightlifting. This result also secured the Trafalgar Trophy for the most successful Commonwealth Weightlifting Nation.
06 Australian Championships- 1st
06 Commonwealth Games- Silver Medal
05 Commonwealth Games Selection Trials
05 Australian Championships- 1st
05 Oceania Championships- 3rd
04 Athens Olympic Trials
03 Canada- World Championships
98 Finland-World Championships
98 Commonwealth Games-Kuala Lumpur- 3 Bronze Medals
97 Indonesia-World Championships-Highest place 13thg
Weightlifting is often seen as only a test of strength. However, it requires other qualities such as speed of movement, flexibility, concentration and balance.
Weightlifting started in 1891 at the first World Championships in London.
Included in the modern Olympics, Athens in 1896. One of the few sports to span 3 centuries.
Weightlifters must perform 2 types of lifts:
The Snatch - The bar is taken from the ground to overhead in a single movement, with the arms fully extended.
The Clean & Jerk - The bar is lifted to the shoulders in one move (the clean), and then it is lifted overhead with the arms fully extended (the jerk).
Weightlifters must adhere to a body weight category. There are 8 for men and 7 for women.
Special Equipment
Wooden Platforms- Competition takes place on a wooden platform 4mtrs x 4mtrs.
Bar- A steel bar weighing 20kg for men and 15kg for women. Weights are secured with collars weighing 2.5kg each.
Clothing – Lycra suits are worn designed to give maximum freedom of movement.
Shoes- weightlifters wear special shoes to ensure a solid footing on the platform.
Magnesium Carbonate- a powder used to stop the bar slipping in the athlete’s hands.
Leather belts/Supportive bandaging- some lifters like to secure their joints and support their backs during lifts.
In competition, weightlifters must nominate the weights that they will lift. You are not permitted to go backwards and must succeed at the nominated weight before increasing the weight. Weights can be increased by as little as 1kg. If 2 lifters succeed at the same weight, the lightest in bodyweight wins.
Simon is proudly sponsored by Musashi and 2XU
