Olympic Games hopeful Shamel Seleka reacts to 2nd place at SA Champs

The 23-year-old is among a group of Olympic hopefuls beginning the long journey towards meeting the stringent qualification requirements for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

Speaking to SABC Sport, Seleka gave a measured assessment of her performance in Mossel Bay, while acknowledging the lessons she can take forward as she continues her push towards the international stage and the Olympic qualification pathway.

"I managed to get 76kgs in the snatch and 94kgs for my clean and jerk. I attempted 80kgs snatch and a 98 kg clean and jerk in my last lifts, which I unfortunately missed. So, I ended up finishing with a total of 170kgs which I still think is a solid baseline in terms of upcoming competitions," Seleka explained. 

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She added that her biggest takeaway this weekend on what needs to be refined is realising that consistently working on strength will be crucial. 

"In terms of what I need to work on, I think in short, I need to squat more. I essentially need to just build more strength, especially leg strength. I think over the next few weeks that is what I'll be focusing on as well as just a few technical refinements so that I can comfortably hold and lift the heavier weights,” she added.

Seleka is also thankful for all the encouragement she’s received from the weightlifting community with some gruelling months expected to follow for the young lifter.