Meanwhile in Colombia …
Time for another ATG First Timer.
Meet 19 year old Luis Javier Mosquera (62kg).
He is the 2014 Junior World Champion (137 + 165) and recently also became the Colombian Senior National Champion at 62kg.
Follow him on Instagram @luisjavierhd16
Update: Let’s interview Luis ourselves! Leave questions in the comments.
El Pais made a little profile video about him in which you can see how he lives and trains.
Translation below.
I think he says that weightlifting is not well recognized in Colombia. His dream, of course, is an Olympic Gold Medal and he says that despite receiving help from a government funded program, he calls for more support and better living conditions.
Update: Translation with more details thanks to reader AC.
- He has sub-17, sub-18 titles in Colombia and youth world (four). He has also won at the Pan-american Games and has a South American title (two). I couldn’t hear the weight classes in which he’s won those titles.
- He got hooked in the sport ever since he was a boy (10 yrs old).
- He’s been promised that the gym will get repaired/upgraded ever since he started winning world titles (2011) but nothing has happened. He wants the repairs not for him but for the others who come into the gym to work hard. One can clearly see that the gym is in bad shape.
- They promised him a house two years ago but nothing has happened. He’s still hopeful that he will get one.
- Ever since he became a father, he has taken the sports more seriously.
- AC’s observation: towards the end of the video he starts talking about that he’s practically unknown to the powers-to-be in the sport but he also mentions that he’s just from Yumbo and maybe that’s the reason the officials haven’t helped the gym. From the look of the dirt streets it seems that he lives in a very poor area.
He says: “Indervalle [sports development institution] does not know I exist”.
Here are some of his training highlights: 140kg Hang Snatch
170kg Clean & Jerk from before Junior Worlds
150kg Power Clean
160 kg Clean & Power Jerk
By the way, HookGrip has a Slow Mo of his 165kg Clean at Jr Worlds.
Some Snatch Pulls to Snatch
Good translated Greg
I just would add that he started at the age 9-10. The rest is mainly what you said.
Nice, so already 10 years in the game.
-Kid has sub-17, sub-18 titles in Colombia and youth world (four). He has also won at the Pan-american Games and has a South American title (two). I couldn’t hear the weight classes in which he’s won those titles.
-He got hooked in the sport ever since he was a boy (10 yrs old).
-He’s been promised that the gym will get repaired/upgraded ever since he started winning world titles (2011) but nothing has happened. He wants the repairs not for him but for the others who come into the gym to work hard. One can clearly see that the gym is in bad shape.
-They promised him a house two years ago but nothing has happened. He’s still hopeful that he will get one.
-Ever since he became a father, he has taken the sports more seriously.
My observation: towards the end of the video he starts talking about that he’s practically unknown to the powers-to-be in the sport but he also mentions that he’s just from Yuba (not sure of spelling) and maybe that’s the reason the officials haven’t helped the gym. From the look of the dirt streets it seems that he lives in a very poor area.
He’s from Yumbo; it’s a town just next to Cali.
http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yumbo
Thanks for the thorough translation
Hahahaha!! “Remeber I told you?” Luis Mosquera (COL) and his explosiveness, medallist-to-be in Rio ’16. 🙂
If ATG’s audience (and Gregor, of course) is interested, I could get a video interview with him, with more specific questions about training or such. Just let me know.
Of course we are interested! 😀
It would be great if you could do that. The Colombians have had so many strong lifters in the Jr worlds. They are doing lots of things right I guess.
they really seem like they’re becoming a powerhouse of lifting. Definitely some great Columbian lifters. I can’t believe this guys from these villages have the same “ahem” supplements as the Russians, Chinese etc…which makes it even more impressive that he’s a Jr. World champ.
You can contact me through facebook (email address), and send me the questions that you and the ATG’s community would like me to ask him. I may also get a video interview from Oscar Figueroa.
Second Thought… I think we’ll probably have to wait till Naijing ends.
Alright, I will collect some questions then. it would help if you can do some digging (past interviews / information). Maybe we can find interesting things to ask about.
Of course I invite all ATG readers to leave questions as well 🙂
I would love to hear about his squat routine, and whether there is an emphasis on front squats. I have noticed a lot of variation in this area, with Larry’s Chinese adventure describing front squats as unnecessary unless the lifter is too worn out to do back squats, and others describing it as their primary auxiliary movement.
Noted. I think it’s also important to ask about his Squat training (or any other exercises for that matter) when he was a beginner/ intermediate.
That will be great.
The way he wides his grip for the jerk is insane, I can’t move my arms even with 50kg.
exactly i can only do it with 40 but thats forcing it…. whenever i see any colombian lift and see them do that with their grip, tears nearly come out of my eyes because i could never do it
Reading this and seeing the videos it’s always half funny half pathetic how US-Americans are envious of non-US WL. Apart from the national facilities of China and Russia, other countries like Egypt, Iran or Colombia can only dream of the equipment/space/material investment that any random better Crossfit place has to offer.