By Mike McCombs
Beaufort weightlifter Dade Stanley is one of 20 Americans competing in the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Junior World Championships taking place this week in Heraklion, Greece on the island of Crete.
Stanley is competing in the 89-kilogram weight class – his group lifts at 5:30 a.m., Saturday, May 7 – in the event held from May 2-10. It’s likely to be a tough road to the podium for Stanley, who is lifting in his weight class’ B session, which is determined by entry total.
One thing Stanley may have going for him, however, is experience. He is one of seven American athletes at the Junior Worlds who have medalled at the youth worlds level.
In fact, the past year might be enough experience for a lifetime for the Clemson sophomore.
In July, Stanley, then 19, swept the Snatch and Clean & Jerk and set a personal record with an Overall total of 306 kilograms shockingly win the 89kg gold by 10 kg at the USA Weightlifting Junior National Championships in Detroit.
Stanley was coming off an injury, had not lifted competitively in more than a year (since March 2020) and had only trained for roughly seven weeks.
Then in December 2021 came another surprise. Despite little competition over the past two years, Stanley was invited to compete as a funded athlete for the United States in these IWF Junior World Championships.
“I wasn’t expecting it at all. My training has been so minimal over the past year while I’ve been in college that I thought I wouldn’t make another world team for a long time,” Stanley told The Island News in January. “The decision came from the Junior Nationals back in June in Detroit. That total was enough to put me on the team.”
Stanley’s mother, Missy Moberly, was more blunt at the time: “I was blown away.”
Team Beaufort Coach Ray Jones simply repeated what he has often said about Stanley.
“There is not really a whole lot about Dade’s potential as a weightlifter that surprises me,” Jones said.
Jones has long advocated that “the only thing holding Dade Stanley back is Dade Stanley,” comparing him favorably to more publicized teammate and fellow Beaufort native C.J. Cummings, who competed in the Tokyo Summer Olympics in July.
Since he has turned 20, this is Stanley’ final year of junior eligibility, and this will be his final Junior World Championships.
Live stream of the competition will be available at usaw.live.
Want to Watch?
The 2022 IWF Junior World Championships are taking place through May 10 in Heraklion, Greece on the island of Crete. Live stream of the competition will be available at usaw.live.
Mike McCombs is the Editor of The Island News and can be reached at TheIslandNews@gmail.com.
