After the Games: Thoughts from Chad Vaughn

Two days after a disappointing performance in Beijing, Chad was kind enough to share his thoughts with us. We know he will come back better and stronger.


"I wake up throughout the night with increased pulse to realize with relief that it was all just a dream. Then, slowly, as I put the scattered puzzle pieces back together in my head, I rediscover that it was all painfully too real. As I lay there awake with knots in my stomach, trying not to think about it, I get no closer to my goal of falling back to sleep. I finally drift off knowing that I will be awakened dreadfully again later. I find comfort with an occasional reminder that time heals and God is good. My faith is shaken but still strong, with an unconditional belief in a better tomorrow.

The night before my competition I watched, "Facing The Giants," for a little extra motivation and inspiration and as a reminder; the message of the movie being to Praise and Trust God, win or lose. In the lose category, this is so hard to do and seems almost impossible at times if you can even figure out how.

More than anything I want to use my Olympic position, or whatever position for that matter, to be a witness. I always saw the 2008 Olympics as being my time. I would put in a good performance to build my credentials and add to my testimony. My training between the trials and the Olympics was good in the snatch and the jerk, but never got going in the squat and the clean. It was as if I woke up one day and I just wasn't quite wired in for the heavier ones; to make a long story short. This was very frustrating and played with my head a little, but toward the end I came to the conclusion that if I reached my ultimate goal of breaking the American Record in the C&J, it would undoubtedly not be with my own strength but with the Strength of God. This comforted me and it made sense that it would happen because it would strengthen my testimony.

I have come to believe that some bad things that happen are from our own ignorant free will and others come straight from God as lessons, direction, etc. I would like to think that this one, for me, was straight from God. Either way, I know that He can bring many great things from it. This, as well as the knowledge that I have been blessed with many good and great competitions, a great life, and that there are more important things in life and worse things that could happen, have all been of great comfort to me and have allowed me to be mostly OK with all of this.

Seeing Melanie and Kendrick perform the way that they did and the attention that Melanie is getting from all angles makes me realize that it is not my time yet. They have both given me so much motivation, hope, and fire for the future. Any thought I had about moving on with life away from weightlifting was smashed on 08/13/2008. I don't know how long I will stay or what the future holds. All I know for right now is that I have to just keep going.

From the moment I arrived in Beijing, I felt a great sense of peace and satisfaction. Anything on top of just being here would have been sweet, sweet icing. I am having a great time all the way around and I was very excited and happy about being a part of a group of people that come together to do everything we possibly could to help me lift the most I possibly could on competition day. As good as my body and the weights felt on that day, I would like to say that it almost worked. The village is amazing and the red carpet is rolled out for you on competition day at the venue. It was the smoothest competition I have been to and they even had personal beds in the post weigh-in waiting area.

To all the weightlifting fans and supporters I would like to say I am sorry, but I can't honestly say that I would go back and do anything differently. I saw an opening and I went for it like I always do; that is just me and I just came up short this time. I have never been one to just "get one in" and this has cost me many attempts though the years and is why my average is probably somewhere around 3 for 6. My aggressive approach to competition and training is both the reason why I am here and one of the major things that has held me back. Seeing what Melanie has gone through makes me realize that I have not been patient enough, and my lack of patience in training and competition has probably been my greatest downfall. Patience is a virtue that I must obtain. I still have time to put in, dues to pay, and much to learn and relearn; but that just means that I have more room to grow. The more I do learn and relearn about weightlifting, and life in general for that matter, the more I realize that I know almost nothing other than a few basics - to work hard, and to persevere. So, that I will do.

With Faith, Hope, and Love,
Chad Vaughn

A very good friend of mine sent the following to me right after I lifted:

IT IS NOT THE CRITIC WHO COUNTS, not the man who points out how the strong man stumbled or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena; whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement; and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.

Theodore Roosevelt"

TEAM RUSSIA

No longer the weightlifting behemoth of the past, Russia still figures to be a top medal contender in the coming weeks. Men's team coach David Rigert recently announced that he believes his team will win six medals, and that every Russian lifter can compete for silver or better. Russia has chosen to include some familiar faces (including two former Olympic medalists) and feature some surprising "young blood" as it positions itself for Beijing and beyond. In depth team profile below:



Women's Team

Mariana Shainova (58kg)
Since winning bronze at her first World Championships in 2005, Shainova has picked up two golds at Europeans (2006 and 2007). At the 2007 Worlds, she won silver, losing by 1 kilo in a close battle with China's Qui Hongmei . With China's decission to field a 58kg competitor, expect Shainova to face a tough battle for gold.

Svetlana Tsarukaeva (63kg)

Tsarukaeva won silver at the World Championships in 2006 as a 58kg lifter. Moving up to the 63kg class, she repeated her second place finish at Worlds in 2007 with a 250kg total. Tsarukaeva has one thing to look forward to - there will be no Chinese competitors in her category this year.

Oxana Slivenko (69kg)

Slivenko has established her name in the 69kg weightclass, surprising many with a gold medal performance in her first ever senior worlds competition in 2006. After a second first place finish at the 2007 European Championships, Slivenko set a world record in the total (276kg) at the 2007 Worlds in Chiang Mai, Thailand to win her thirld gold two years.

Nadeza Evstyukhina (75kg)

The youngest women's competitor (born 1988) and most surprising choice, Evstyukhina placed second overall in her first World Championships in 2006, and won gold in the snatch. But at the 2007 Worlds, she placed third, with first place going to CHN's Cao Lei, and second going to her teammate and world record holder Natalia Zabolotania. Zabolotania, who tied the gold medal total (but lost due to bodyweight) at the 2004 games, was expected to be the Russia's representative in the 75kg class. Though plagued by injuries in 2006, Zabolotania's strong showing at Worlds in 2007 should have cemented her slot for Beijing. Apparently, Zabolotania's refusal to compete in Russian Nationals earlier this year (for reasons unknown) resulted in her removal from the team.

MEN'S TEAM

Oleg Perepetchenov (77kg)

The most experienced member of the Russian team and an Athens bronze medalist, Perepetchenov makes most lifts look effortless. His achilees heel is the jerk, which has never been consistent. In 2001, Perepetechenov clean and jerked 210 at the European Championships. Since then, he has not come close to jerking that same number, but remains a strong medal contender. He won gold at European Championships this year with a 362kg total, and will need to improve upon those numbers if he wants gold in Beijing.

Khadjimourad Akkaev (94kg)

After a silver medal performance (405kg total) in Athens, Akkaev went completely off the radar. The reason? A doping violation in 2005 resulted in a two year ban, effectively removing him from international competition until 2008. What effect, if any, the ban has had on Akkaev's lifting is unknown. Considering his slot on the Olympic team, however, we can expect that he will be a medal contender.

Roman Konstantinov (94kg)

Konstantinov surprised many at the 2006 Worlds with a bronze medal total (392kg) while lifting in the B class. With a second place finish at the 2007 Europeans and a gold medal performance (177+220=397kg) at the Worlds later that year, Konstaninov showed that he is very capable of contending for a medal in the stacked 94kg class in Beijing.

Dmitry Klokov (105kg)

Klokov won gold at the World Championships in the 105kg weight class in 2005 (Doha, Qatar), lifting 192kg in the snatch and 227 kg in the clean and jerk for a 419kg total. In 2006 and 2007 he placed third at the World Championships. He beat out an injured Dmitry Berstov (2004 Olympic Champion) and the always inconsistent Gleb Pisarevsky for his position on the Olympic team.

Dmitry Lapikov (105kg)

Lapikov took second place at the 2006 World Championships with a 194kg snatch and 220kg clean and jerk for a combined total of 414kg. He is very capable of breaking the world record in the snatch but will need to set an international competition PR in the clean and jerk in order to contend for a medal.

Evgeny Chigishev (105+)

Chigishev, a snatch specialist, won gold in the discipline at the 2005 World Championships with a mind boggling 211kg lift. Even so, his performance was only enough for a second place finish to the great (and now retired) Hossein Rezazadeh. Chigishev seems to be capable of snatching 205kg+ on any given day. He will need to go in to the clean and jerks with a formidable lead in order to have a shot at gold because of his relatively weak clean and jerk.

CHINA'S WEIGHTLIFTING TEAM ANNOUNCED

The self-styled "unstoppable 6-4" (6 men, 4 women) Chinese weightlifting squad has been publicized, and China wants gold in every weight category in which it sends a competitor. Facing the enviable position of having too many gold medal contenders, the Chinese Weightlifting Association waited until the last possible moment to reveal the final Olympic team.

Women's Team:

48kg - Yang Lian
Yang is a world record holder in the snatch (98kg), clean and jerk (119kg) and total (217kg).

58 - Chen Yanqing
After winning gold in her class in 2004, Chen announced retirement. In 2006, she made her comeback, setting a world record total with lifts of 111kg in the snatch, and 137kg in the clean and jerk, for a 248kg total.

69kg - Liu Chunhong

After winning gold in Athens, Liu moved to the 75kg class, setting new world records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total. She eventually returned to the 69kg class, losing an extremely close battle for gold with Russian lifter Oxana Slivenko at the 2007 Worlds. Expect a rematch in Beijing.

75kg - Cao Lei
Cao reigned supreme at the 2007 worlds in Chiang Mai, posting lifts of 128kg in the snatch and 158kg in the clean and jerk for a 286kg total and a gold medal.


Men's Team

56kg - Long QingQuan

Long clean and jerking 170kg in training.


Don't let his 1990 birth date deceive you. At only 18 years old, Long is the favorite for gold in the 56kg weight class. He snatched 132kg and clean and jerked 160kg at the Olympic Trials in April. He even gave 164kg, 4kg off the world record, a very good go. Expect him to be in top shape in Beijing and possibly run away from the field if he tops his Trials performance.

62kg - Zhang Xiang Xiang

A medalist at the 2000 Olympics in the 56kg class at the young age of 17, Zhang injured his back in 2003, forcing him out of serious competition for almost three years. Returning as a 62kg lifter, China clearly have high hopes for him - he was given the honor of being the first to hold Olympic torch as it journeyed throughout the nation.

69kg - Liao Hui

Liao announced his presence as a contender in the 69kg class last November by winning the Chinese Inner City games. Along the way he also unofficially broke two junior world records, one in the snatch and one in the total. In that competition, he snatched 156kg, clean and jerked 185kg, and totaled 347kg. With a spectacular performance at the Chinese Olympic Trials in April of this year, Liao most likely secured his spot on the team. At the Trials he snatched 160kg and clean and jerked 195kg for a massive 355kg total. After this performance he is the favorite in the 69kg class in Beijing.

69kg - Shi Zhiyong
Shi is a snatch specialist who won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens in the 62kg division. He has since moved up to the 69kg division, and in 2005, won gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. He snatched 161kg at the Olympic Trials for gold in that discipline. However, he was only successful with 185kg in the clean and jerk. He will have to improve upon those marks to contend with his teammate Liao Hui and Armenia's Tigran Martirosyan next month.

77kg - Li HongLi
Known as a snatch specialist, Li HongLi won the 2005 World Championship in the 77kg division. He will be competing in an extremely tough 77kg class in Beijing, featuring 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Taner Sagir (Turkey) and 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Oleg Perepetchenov (Russia). He snatched 163kg and clean and jerked 201kg for a 364kg total at the recent Chinese Olympic Trials and first in his class. He will need to improve upon that total to be competitive in Beijing.

85kg - Lu Yong

Lu won silver at the 2005 World Championships in Doha, Qatar in the 85kg division as a junior. A poor showing at the 2007 Royal World Weightlifting Championships in Chang Mai, Thailand, left everyone scratching their heads. However, at the Chinese Olympic Trials in April, Lu Yong showed the world that he will be a contender for gold at this year's Olympic Games. He snatched 180kg and clean and jerked 213kg in a perfect six-for-six performance and a 393kg total. One thing is for certain - the Chinese delegation would not be sending Lu to Beijing if they did not think he was prepared to compete for the gold against the Belorussian favorite, Andrei Rybakov.

Man on a Mission

An Interview with Kendrick Farris

With the Olympic games just weeks away, most athletes would be content just to be headed to Beijing. Not Kendrick Farris. While American weightlifting enthusiasts have faced some crushing disappointments lately (the latest of which you can read about here), they find hope in the performance of the 85 kilogram (187lbs) Louisiana native. Boasting competition bests of 158kg (348lbs) in the Snatch and 201kg (443lbs) in the Clean and Jerk, he is America's #1 ranked weightlifter. With that title comes high expectations, but none expect more than Kendrick himself. When the final weight is lifted in Beijing, only one thing will do for America's number one...Gold.

THREEWHITELIGHTS caught up with Kendrick this past week. Here's what he had to say.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Could you start off by telling us a little bit about how you got started in weightlifting?

Kendrick Farris: My uncle, Kevin Burns, read about a program that coach Kyle Pierce had just started here in Shreveport and he felt like weightlifting would help with the sports that my brother, my cousin, and I were playing. I was 11 years old at the time.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Did you play any other sports before/during your career as a weightlifter, and if so, when did you decide to make the switch to weightlifting full time?

Kendrick Farris: I used to play football, basketball, and table tennis (table tennis was before all of the other sports). Football lasted the longest out of these three sports, but I stopped playing when I was 15 because the coach and I had a disagreement about how I should weight train. I chose weightlifting over football and I think I made the right move...haha.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: How serious were you about training when you began?

Kendrick Farris: When I first started lifting, I was only coming 2-3 times a week. The workouts were not real intense because I was just learning how to do the movements. I would probably be in the gym for and hour, maybe and hour and a half at the most, when I began.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Deep down, every athlete dreams of competing at the highest level of their respective sport. But some great athletes simply know they are destined to compete at the top. Was there a point in time before you qualified at the Olympic Trial when you just knew you were destined to be an Olympian?

Kendrick Farris: Actually, when I was 14, I would tell everyone that I was going to make the Olympic Team in 2004. I didn’t realize just how hard it was to actually make the team. So, by the time I was 18, I started to really get strong. Even though I wasn’t ranked high among the senior men, I just knew I was going to be the best.

On August 5th, 2004, I was working at this restaurant as a bus boy. While I was working, weightlifting was broadcast on the television as part of the Olympics…that was one of those moments where I felt like God was showing me where I could be, you know? I ended up quitting my job as a bus boy, and began working just as hard as I was praying…now I’m just getting ready to go make history!

THREEWHITELIGHTS: How has your training evolved over the years?

Kendrick Farris: When you make up your mind that you are going to be the best, your whole mindset has to change as well. For example, when I don’t feel like doing something in training, I just think about how other lifters feel, regardless of weight class. I think - I bet they feel the same way right now, tired, not wanting to finish, or perhaps even working harder than me. That is how I make myself do these things. I like to call it a deposit - because when the competition rolls around, you don’t want to go to that bank and find your balance is in the negative. That is why during training, you have to make plenty of deposits, instead of withdrawing all the time. So I’m probably in the gym training once a day for about 4-5 hours, 5 days per week.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: When were your first national and international competitions and how did you perform?

Kendrick Farris: My first national competition was in Virginia Beach, VA, at the junior Olympics. I placed 1^st (only one in my weight class, baby). My first international competition was at Louis Cyr, but I got second place.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: The United States is usually a strong competitor in the international sporting scene. In weightlifting, it lags behind, ranked 27th in the world. As one of our only top ranked international weightlifters, what factors do you believe are responsible for our lack of competitiveness in the sport?

Kendrick Farris: Number one, I don’t feel like our lifters go to win. I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way… I am not saying people in our country don’t work hard enough, because I don’t train with everyone so I can't speak on that.

What we do in the US is make excuses about doping and how other countries cheat. Well, these are facts - so why would you sell yourself short because of your circumstances? That's like having no money and saying: “well I don’t have anything so I quit.” You should be like: “ok, that’s what they have to do to beat me? Alright, I’m going to work 10x as hard. I'm going to make it hard on them.” The substances that they are using are man made. The source of my strength comes from GOD...

I just pray and do the best that I can do, and I know it's going to work out for me, because it's already been written out for me. The US hasn't had a male win a medal since 1984. That was before I was born. So why do you think I’m here!!?? I'm here to make history. I'm going to take the Gold because that is the top prize. People may say: “you aren't ranked at the top of the class.” Then I'll just say, “if the Olympics were decided by whoever submitted the fastest time or the heaviest total, then it would be pointless to have the competition”…It's only about who is better on that day, at that moment.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: On that note, what advice do you have for young weightlifters across America who dream of competing on the international scene one day?

Kendrick Farris: Trust in God and always believe in yourself. Nothing comes easy…if it did, then people would be doing great things all day everyday. So work as hard as you think you need to be the best, if not harder!

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Next month in Beijing, drugs are sure to figure into the final distribution of medals. Already, the Greek and Bulgarian teams have been suspended/banned from competition, shaking up the international scene. How much pressure is there on elite weightlifters to dope, and where do you think this pressure is coming from?

Kendrick Farris: I guess all the pressure is coming from the coaches. I know some athletes feel like they have dope to in order to be competitive, which in my opinion is false. Hey, to each his own.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Your unusual style in the jerk has been the subject of much debate. A hybrid between a split jerk and power jerk, some fans have coined it the "splot". One thing is for sure though...it works! How did you develop this unique method?

Kendrick Farris: Instead making my body fit a jerk style, I made a jerk style fit me…haha. It's more of a natural movement.

On the Olympic Trials

THREEWHITELIGHTS: What went through your mind as you stepped up to a bar loaded with 201 kilos for a new american record in the clean and jerk?

Kendrick Farris: That I was about to make it pretty easily.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: At the Olympic Trials in April, after you set the American record in the Clean and Jerk, you posed with a bottle of vitamin water. What was that all about?

Kendrick Farris: Well, I was drinking Vitamin Water in the back and the cameras were around, and I just thought it would be clever to do a mini commercial. Some people actually took it the wrong way, but hey, I didn’t mean to offend anyone I was just having a little fun.

Note: See Kendrick’s mini-commerical (and record-breaking Clean and Jerk) below.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: How does it feel to be an Olympian?

Kendrick Farris: The feeling of being an Olympian is great! A lot of people understand being an Olympian better than Weightlifting. I still have to explain to them what it is I actually do...haha, but people understand how serious the Olympics are and they respect that, which makes me feel good about working hard everyday.

On Family

THREEWHITELIGHTS: How do you balance your responsibilities as a student, father, and competitive weightlifter? What sacrifices have you made, if any?

Kendrick Farris: Time is the biggest sacrifice that I have made...but all that has done is make me value the time I do spend with my family.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: What role does family play in your success as an athlete?

Kendrick Farris: They play a huge role with all of their support and their understanding of how busy I am.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Speaking of family, can you tell us about your mother's attempt's to raise money so she can accompany you to Beijing? How can we help?

Kendrick Farris: Well, we have been taking up donations in order to get my mom to Beijing. We are trying to raise 5-6 thousand dollars and right now, we have about 2 thousand. So if you know anyone who wants to donate, then please send a check to 1638 Easy St., Shreveport, LA 71101 or go to Regions Bank and make a deposit to Monica Lockett.

Quick Fire

THREEWHITELIGHTS: What is your favorite lift?

Kendrick Farris: The deadlift, because all I have to do is pick the bar up...haha.

THREEWHITELIGHTS: What is your favorite food?

Kendrick Farris: Some kind of salad (sushi is working its way to the top of my list).

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Of all the places you have traveled over the course of your weightlifting career, which has been your favorite?

Kendrick Farris: I am going to go with Puerto Rico. The people are so kind and the women there are so BEAUTIFUL!!!

THREEWHITELIGHTS: Who are some of your favorite weightlifters?

Kendrick Farris: I honestly don’t have any. My favorite athlete is Muhammad Ali. Hands down the greatest!

Thanks for taking the time Kendrick, and good luck in Beijing - we are all rooting for you!

Note: We would like to encourage as many people as possible to donate to Mrs. Lockett's cause. It is important that Kendrick have his number one supporter throughout his career there with him for what will undoubtedly be the most important moment in his athletic career so far. Every little bit will help. Thanks!