2 CNMI weightlifters to join Guam tourney

CNMI weightlifters Angel San Nicolas, left, and Raymond Santos, right, enter the homestretch of their training for the Sept. 17 inaugural Micro Cup Liftoff weightlifting tournament at the Custom Fitness in Hagatna Guam. Latte Built gym owner Derek Cutting, center, let both lifters train at his facility at the Commonwealth Development Authority building in San Jose. (Jon Perez)

The CNMI’s Raymond Santos and Angel San Nicolas are both hoping their year-long training with an “online” coach and sharing of knowledge would be enough to boost their chances of winning in the inaugural Micro Cup Liftoff weightlifting tournament in Guam this month.

Custom Fitness in Hagatna, Guam will host the Olympic-style weightlifting event—consisting of the snatch, and clean and jerk—on Sept. 17. International Weightlifting Federation rules will be used in the one-day competition.

Santos and San Nicolas have been training hard twice a day—morning and afternoon—almost every day, resting only when the need arises. They train at the Latte Built Functional Fitness and Nutrition at the Commonwealth Development Authority building in San Jose.

“We coach each other and create our own training program,” said Santos after taking a break from their training yesterday at the Derek Cutting-owned gym. “We’re thankful for Derek for letting us use his facility.”

Santos added they are training even if there’s no competition. “He [San Nicolas] trains everyday with no rest day. I usually treat Saturday and Sunday as my rest days. I rest when I don’t feel fine.”

“We train and share knowledge. We’re each other’s coach and watch YouTube videos. Hopefully it would be enough for both of us,” said San Nicolas, who added that they are aiming to win in the Guam Weightlifting Federation-organized event.

“We’re going there to win but at the same time also enjoy the friendly competition. We love the sport,” San Nicolas said.

Santos and San Nicolas are both working for the CNMI Public School System at the Special Education department of the Koblerville Elementary School.

Santos and San Nicolas said their best lifts vary and they happen either during their training or when competing. “It varies but we always aim to have the best lift,” said Santos.

“We don’t plan it. We hit new numbers on certain days and sometimes we won’t reach them,” added San Nicolas.

They also follow a diet in order to make the target weight. “For me, I need three to four hours to digest all that I’ve eaten before each workout. We don’t just eat anything and we also need to follow a dietary plan to hit our desired weight.”

They are aiming to compete in the weight category that is lower than their previous class in order to become the strongest in their divisions. Santos will be competing in the 62kg weight category, while San Nicolas will be competing in the 94kg class, which he said is not far from his current weight.

Santos won three silver medals in the men’s 62k weight division in the 2014 Micronesian Games in Pohnpei. Last year, he went home with the gold in the same weight class in the Micronesia Weightlifting Invitational also held in Guam with lifts of 100kg in the snatch and 220kg in the clean and jerk.

San Nicolas settled for the silver in the 94kg division in the same competition with lifts of 95kg in the snatch and 125kg in the clean and jerk in the Sinclair method for a total lift of 253.095.

The Sinclair method has the athlete’s body weight multiplied with his total lift.