The Lowcountry is home to a world champion – again.
Beaufort teenager C.J. Cummings successfully defended his title early Sunday morning at the International Weightlifting Federation Junior World Championships in Tokyo.
Competing in the 69kg weight class, the 17-year-old phenom started out in a bit of a hole, as Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto won the gold in the snatch with a lift of 147kg while Cummings lifted 138kg to finish fourth.
Cummings’ dominant performance in the clean and jerk secured the overall title, though, as he successfully lifted 183kg for a total of 321kg, edging Miyamoto by one kilogram.
Cummings attempted to break his own world record in the clean and jerk with a run at 186kg – which would have broken the overall youth record of 322kg owned by Turkey’s Shagir Taner – but came up short.
Cummings, who trains under coach Ray Jones of Team Beaufort Weightlifting, continues to solidify his standing as one of the United States’ best hopes for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo. He adds this world title to his win in the IWF Youth World Championships earlier this year after also winning both events in 2016.