Lora Marietta earns three medals at World Powerlifting

Judy Marietta/Courtesy Decatur Community High School-Oberlin junior Lora Marietta recently competed at a World Powerlifting competition in Pretoria, South Africa. She earned a bronze medal for a third-place finish overall in the Sub-Junior 114-pound weight class with a combined lift of 671pounds -- 275 squat, 143 bench and 253 deadlift.

PRETORIA, South Africa -- Lora Marietta, a junior at Decatur Community High School-Oberlin participated in the Sub-Junior and Junior World Powerlifting Championship in Pretoria, South Africa from Sept. 8-12.

Marietta was a member of the Sub-junior team, which is composed of lifters 16-18 years of age.

The Junior team consists of lifters 19-23 years of age.

Marietta was selected to be on the team from the totals she posted at the High School National Powerlifting Championship held earlier this year.

Marietta lifted in the 114-pound weight class and received third place, a bronze medal, for total pounds lifted. She lifted a combined 671 pounds.

Marietta's best lifts for the competition included 275 pounds in the squat, which tied her personal best, 143 pounds in the bench and 253 pounds in the deadlift.

For individual lifts, she received a silver medal in the bench and a bronze medal in the squat.

Ten U.S. lifters competing in nine weight classes on the Sub-junior Women's Team posted high enough totals to win the Sub-junior World Women's Team Championship.

This was the first time that any United States team has won the World Championship since the Men's Masters Team won the World Championship in the early 1980s.

The Russian teams have dominated the world competitions all the other years.

Lifters from 19 countries participated in the event this year. The United States will host the event in September 2005 in Fort Wayne, Ind.

Lora Marietta is the daughter of Alan and Judith Marietta, Oberlin.