Two golds and a silver for Medina's Ella Nicholson at world weightlifting meet

Emotionally and in the record books, Ella Nicholson is on top of the world. The 16-year-old Medina sophomore won two gold medals and a silver Thursday at the International Weightlifting Federation World Youth Championships in Durres, Albania. Competing for Team USA at 76 kilograms (167.6 pounds) in the 16-17-year-old division, the 5-foot-6, 162-pound Nicholson also set American records in the snatch, clean and jerk and combined total to qualify for the Pan-American Youth Championships, to be held in Venezuela in August but subject to change, and Junior World Championships, to be held in Guatemala in November. "It was electric," Nicholson said in a phone interview following her first international competition and fifth meet overall. "It was so cool. I've never experienced anything like this, so this feels amazing. All my hard work paid off." With approximately 30 friends and family members cheering her on while watching a live stream of the event from her home gym, Root 18 CrossFit, Nicholson lifted 101 kilograms (222.7 pounds) on her third and final attempt to earn gold in the snatch. Victory was not assured until Egypt's Rahma A. Elsayed missed at 102 kilograms, sending the folks at Root 18 into a wild celebration as Nicholson's mother, Jeannine, broke into tears while accepting congratulatory hugs. "This community is the best," Jeannine said. "Root 18 has been her family. It's the best gym family in the world." Nicholson, whose personal record in the snatch is 102 kilograms, hoisted 101 easily after earlier lifting 95 and 98 kilograms. That seemed to unravel Elsayed, who came in as the favorite in both lifts. "I felt really strong," Nicholson said. "I've never done more than that (101) in a competition, so I didn't want to push it too far and miss." Looking like a confident, seasoned veteran, Nicholson then successfully lifted 114, 117 and 121 kilograms (266.8 pounds), the latter a personal record by 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds), to earn silver in the clean and jerk. Her last lift — she was 6-for-6 on the day — also assured gold in the combined total with 222 kilograms (489 pounds). Elsayed ultimately took gold in the clean and jerk by lifting 122 kilograms on her final attempt, but that didn't spoil the festive mood at Root 18 CrossFit, where chants of "USA!" erupted throughout the morning. "Hard work pays off. That's the quote we use all the time," Nicholson's father Cliff said. "She busts her butt, so it's great to see it all pay off. I couldn't be more proud." Next up for Nicholson, who will return from Albania on Saturday, are the USA Nationals, to be held in Colorado Springs in June. "I'm just so relieved," mom Jeannine said. "I've been worried about her because she's so far from home. I never dreamed she'd be able to hit those numbers. This all seems like a dream. I can't believe she did that." An elite national youth competitor in CrossFit before she turned her focus to weightlifting, Nicholson's ultimate goal is to compete in the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. "She got great genetics from her parents," Root 18 CrossFit coach Trey Vaughan said. "She came into this gym as a strong 12-year-old and fell in love with this. Her maturity is off the charts. She just attacks her goals. She puts her blinders on and gets it done." Contact Rick Noland at (330) 721-4046 or rnoland@medina-gazette.com. Follow him @RickNoland on Twitter.