Ajah Pritchard-Lolo

Last updated
Ajah Pritchard-Lolo
Personal information
Born (2002-08-10) 10 August 2002 (age 22)
Height189 cm (6 ft 2 in)
Weight85 kg (187 lb)
Sport
Sport Weightlifting
Weight class81 kg
Coached bySimone Pritchard
Medal record
Women's weightlifting
Representing Flag of Vanuatu.svg  Vanuatu
Pacific Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Honiara 87 kg
Oceania Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2024 Auckland 81 kg
Oceania U23 Championships
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 2023 Apia 87 kg

Ajah Pritchard-Lolo (born 10 August 2002) is a Ni-Vanuatu weightlifter. After competing in CrossFit events, she took up weightlifting during the COVID-19 pandemic and contested the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she finished eighth in the 87 kg event. She then won four medals in the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she placed 11th out of 13.

Contents

Biography

Pritchard-Lolo was born on 10 August 2002 [1] [2] and grew up in Vanuatu. [2] Her father was born in New Zealand, of Samoan descent, and her mother is of Samoan, Dutch, and French descent. [3] She has one sibling. [3] She attended school at JMG Lycée Francais until 16 and then attended Queen Margaret College, Wellington, in New Zealand, before returning to Vanuatu in 2021. [3] Pritchard-Lolo competed in CrossFit events and is a qualified CrossFit coach. [3] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began competing in weightlifting, while in New Zealand. [4] She continued weightlifting upon her return to Vanuatu, with the help of her mother, who opened a weightlifting club and later became the president of the Vanuatu Weightlifting Federation. [4]

In 2022, Pritchard-Lolo was selected to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on a bipartite invitation, competing in the 87 kg event, where she finished eighth. [5] [6] She attended the Oceania Weightlifting Federation Training Camp in March 2023. [7] Her 2023 season included appearances at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Saudi Arabia, the U23 Junior & Youth Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Apia, and the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, where she won three medals: two silver and a bronze in the snatch, clean & jerk, and total events. [8] [9] She competed at the North Island Weightlifting Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, in June 2024. Later that month she received a universality selection to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 81 kg category, becoming the first-ever Olympic weightlifter for Vanuatu. [8] [10] [11] Pritchard-Lolo was originally targeting an Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics, before being awarded one of the three female weightlifter universality spots. [4] She lifted 197 kg in total and placed 11th among 13 participants. [12]

Major results

YearVenueWeightSnatch (kg)Clean & Jerk (kg)TotalRank
123Rank123Rank
Olympic Games
2024 Paris, France 81 kg 85899210310811219711
World Championships
2023 Riyadh, Saudi Arabia 87 kg 859090141051101111419613
IWF World Cup
2024 Phuket, Thailand81 kg90909010010511024
Oceania Championships
2023 Honiara, Solomon Islands87 kg868990Silver medal icon.svg105107110Bronze medal icon.svg197Silver medal icon.svg
2024 Auckland, New Zealand81 kg889192Silver medal icon.svg105108110Gold medal icon.svg193Silver medal icon.svg

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nauru at the 2008 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Nauru competed at the 2008 Summer Olympics, that were celebrated in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. Nauru was represented by the Nauru Olympic Committee, and was the only nation out of 204 participating nations and territories that sent only a single athlete, and was one of 117 that won no medals at the Games. The sole athlete to represent the nation was Itte Detenamo, who participated in the weightlifting, and was the flag bearer in both the opening and closing ceremonies. This was the same number of athletes as at the 1996 Olympics, when Marcus Stephen represented the country in the same sport, but was a decrease from the nation's last appearance at the Games when three athletes were sent to Athens. Nauru earned a berth for the weightlifting event in the Oceania and South Pacific Olympic Weightlifting Championships in 2008 and a chance to send participants in swimming and athletics events, but chose to send only a weightlifter. Itte Detenamo competed in the Group B of heavyweight class, fifteenth and last event of the weightlifting. He did not earn a medal, but finished with a personal best.

Erika Yuriko Iris Yamasaki is an Australian weightlifter. The daughter of Minoru Yamasaki and Ann Alvisio, she started Weightlifting in 2000, when she was tested in a talent identification program, along with her brother John Yamasaki. Erika first started to represent Australia in 2003 at the Oceania Championships, Niue Island. She has now competed at several international events, including Oceania Championships, World Championships, World Cup, Commonwealth Championships, Pacific and Commonwealth Games.

David Katoatau is an I-Kiribati weightlifter who received international press attention due to dance routines he performed following his lifts at the 2016 Summer Olympics, in order to bring attention to the impact of climate change on Kiribati.

Ele Opeloge is a Samoan weightlifter. She was the first Samoan to win an Olympic medal, winning silver in the women's +75 kg category at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sport in Tuvalu</span>

Sport is an important part of Tuvaluan culture, which sporting culture is based on traditional games and athletic activities and the adoption of some of the major international sports of the modern era.

Mary Opeloge is a Samoan weightlifter. She competed in the women's 75 kg event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where she won a silver medal. She won Gold at the 2016 Oceania Weightlifting Championships.

Vaipava Nevo Ioane is a Samoan weightlifter. He competed in the men's 62 kg event at the 2014 Commonwealth Games where he won a bronze medal. He represented his country at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Iuniarra Sipaia is a Samoan female weightlifter. She has represented Samoa in several international competitions such as Pacific Mini Games, Commonwealth Games, Oceania Weightlifting Championships and Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games.

Lauititi Lui is a Samoan male weightlifter, competing in the +105 kg category and representing Samoa at international competitions. He participated at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in the +105 kg event. He won the silver medal at the 2015 Pacific Games, lifting a total of 362 kg and the bronze medal at the 2016 Oceania Weightlifting Championships, lifting a total of 368 kg. He won the bronze medal at the 2013 Pacific Mini Games.

Laurel Hubbard is a New Zealand weightlifter. Selected to compete at the 2020 Summer Olympics, she was the first openly transgender woman to compete in the Olympic Games. Prior to making her Olympic debut, Hubbard achieved a ranking of 7th in the IWF's women's +87 kg division.

Phillipa Jean "Pip" Patterson is a weightlifter from New Zealand.

Alethea Boon is an athlete from New Zealand. She represented New Zealand in artistic gymnastics at the 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2002 Commonwealth Games, and in weightlifting at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Emily Campbell is a British weightlifter, the most successful British weightlifter of modern times. She is a Commonwealth and four-time European champion, and a double World and Olympic medalist.

Brandon Dean Wakeling is an Australian weightlifter. He won the gold medal in the men's 73 kg event at the 2019 Pacific Games held in Apia, Samoa. He represented Australia at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. He also represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022.

Don Opeloge is a Samoan weightlifter. He won the gold medal in the men's 96 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England.

Sarah Maureen Cochrane is an Australian weightlifter. She won the silver medal in the women's 64 kg event at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England. She also won the silver medal in the women's 64 kg event at the 2019 Pacific Games held in Apia, Samoa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanuatu at the 2022 Commonwealth Games</span> Sporting event delegation

Vanuatu competed at the 2022 Commonwealth Games at Birmingham, England from 28 July to 8 August 2022. It was Vanuatu's eleventh appearance at the Games.

John Lautafi Tafi is a Samoan Weightlifter who has represented Samoa at the Pacific Games and Commonwealth Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vanuatu at the 2024 Summer Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Vanuatu competed at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris from 26 July to 11 August 2024. Since the nation made its debut in 1988, Ni-Vanuatu athletes have participated in every edition of the Summer Olympic Games.

Chloe David is a Ni-Vanuatu sprinter. She represented Vanuatu in the women's 100 metres event at the 2024 Summer Olympics.

References

  1. "Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". Olympics.com .
  2. 1 2 "Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". 2022 Commonwealth Games.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Natoga, Anasilini (26 March 2022). "Special moment for Ajah Lolo". Vanuatu Daily Post .
  4. 1 2 3 Ewart, Richard (11 July 2024). "Mother-daughter combo excited to put Vanuatu weighlifting on the map at the Olympic Games in Paris". ABC News.
  5. Natoga, Anasilini (21 March 2022). "Ajah Lolo has booked her flight to the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games". Vanuatu Daily Post .
  6. "Commonwealth Games: Weightlifting - Women's 87kg results". BBC. 2 August 2022.
  7. "Lolo invited to elite camp in Australia". Sista.com.vu. 29 March 2023.
  8. 1 2 Molivakoro, Vourie (25 June 2024). "First female weightlifter to compete in Olympic Games". Vanuatu Daily Post .
  9. "Participant biography: Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". 2023 Pacific Games.
  10. "Lifting Dreams: How Ajah Pritchard Lolo Became Vanuatu's Olympic Weightlifting Icon". VIMB.vu. 6 August 2024.
  11. "Athlete count for Vanuatu". Olympedia.org.
  12. "Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". NBC Olympics.