Learn the name Jeremy Lalrinnunga. The elite weightlifter has already impressed many in the strength community, can easily snatch more than twice his bodyweight, and is an Olympic gold medalist.
Oh yeah, he’s also only 16 years old.
Lalrinnunga, of India, started lifting when he was nine, according to the Hindustan Times, when an Indian Army coach recruited him and two other children after spotting them at a local gym. Lalrinnunga had been lifting weights for fun—he told the Hindustan Times it gave him something to do after school.
The Army Coach trained Lalrinnunga and his two friends at the Boys Sports Company, a program for young athletes run by the Sports Authority of India and the Indian Army.
Lalrinnunga instantly became hooked on lifting, and it’s undeniable that he has a natural talent for it. In April, he broke 15 national and international records at the Asian Weightlifting Championship, including a 163kg (359-pound) clean and jerk, surpassing the previous youth world record of 161kg (355 pounds) held by Kazakhstan weightlifter Sikhan Taisuyev.
At the same event, Lalrinnunga completed a 134kg (295-pound) snatch, surpassing the previous youth world record that he had set in February at 131kg (288 pounds). But even that record didn’t stand for long, as he set a new one at 136kg (300 pounds) last month at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship in Samoa.
Not impressed yet? Lalrinnunga weighs 64kg (141 pounds), meaning he regularly lifts double his bodyweight with ease. Just imagine what he’ll be able to do as an adult.
Here, Lalrinnunga completes a 136kg (300-pound) snatch. With it, he broke the previous youth world record of 134kg (295 pounds), which was held by him.
