Gravity-defier Leowell Cristobal made a historic debut for the NMI and reset personal best lifts in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships 2024 in Manama, Bahrain last Dec. 7.The U.S. Air Force airman competed in Group C’s 67-kg weight class and pulled an overall personal best of 105 kg snatch and a 143 kg clean & jerk, for a 248-kg total weight lifted for sixth place.There were three groups in the competition based on lifters’ declared entry totals which are the combined weight they expect to lift in the snatch and clean & jerk.Group A typically consists of the strongest athletes with the highest entry totals, while Group B and Group C include those with progressively lower totals. Even with that, the 26-year-old said that his debut is an honor. “It’s definitely an honor to represent the NMI in the World Championships and grateful for this opportunity. I definitely learned a lot in the process. And I hope to pay it forward by not only inspiring future weightlifters from the NMI to compete at higher levels, but also do what I can to pave the way in enabling these types of opportunities as well.”He added, “Huge thanks to my family and friends for supporting me. Thanks to Kyle Pierce who helped coach me at Worlds, to Jackie Black for helping me with my training programs, and to CNMI Weightlifting for giving me this opportunity to represent NMI.”He trains four to five times a week, and is studying online for a Masters in kinesiology. He is planning to compete in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games if given the opportunity. He last competed in the 2024 Micronesian Games where he collected two silver medals and one bronze.Cristobal is now stationed in Japan, serving in a battle management role for the U.S. Air Force.

Leowell makes historic NMI debut in IWF World Champs

Gravity-defier Leowell Cristobal made a historic debut for the NMI and reset personal best lifts in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships 2024 in Manama, Bahrain last Dec. 7. The U.S. Air Force airman competed in Group C’s 67-kg weight class and pulled an overall personal best of 105 kg snatch and a 143 kg […]

Gravity-defier Leowell Cristobal made a historic debut for the NMI and reset personal best lifts in the International Weightlifting Federation World Championships 2024 in Manama, Bahrain last Dec. 7.

The U.S. Air Force airman competed in Group C’s 67-kg weight class and pulled an overall personal best of 105 kg snatch and a 143 kg clean & jerk, for a 248-kg total weight lifted for sixth place.

There were three groups in the competition based on lifters’ declared entry totals which are the combined weight they expect to lift in the snatch and clean & jerk.

Group A typically consists of the strongest athletes with the highest entry totals, while Group B and Group C include those with progressively lower totals.

Even with that, the 26-year-old said that his debut is an honor. “It’s definitely an honor to represent the NMI in the World Championships and grateful for this opportunity. I definitely learned a lot in the process. And I hope to pay it forward by not only inspiring future weightlifters from the NMI to compete at higher levels, but also do what I can to pave the way in enabling these types of opportunities as well.”

He added, “Huge thanks to my family and friends for supporting me. Thanks to Kyle Pierce who helped coach me at Worlds, to Jackie Black for helping me with my training programs, and to CNMI Weightlifting for giving me this opportunity to represent NMI.”

He trains four to five times a week, and is studying online for a Masters in kinesiology. He is planning to compete in the 2025 Pacific Mini Games if given the opportunity. He last competed in the 2024 Micronesian Games where he collected two silver medals and one bronze.

Cristobal is now stationed in Japan, serving in a battle management role for the U.S. Air Force.