In the first round of the weightlifting Bundesliga, the WKG Innviertel Lochen/Ranshofen welcomes the 19-time Bundesliga champion SK Vöest Linz on Saturday, March 4th at 6 p.m. in Lochen. In the previous year, the Innviertel lost to the Linzers in the preliminary round with a score of 1:2. SK is the clear favorite this time too, after all, the weightlifters have strengthened themselves with Julian Heidenbauer (ÖGV squad athlete, seventh in the U23 European Championships) via a team loan contract. In addition, Christiane Schröcker, Jakob Maislinger and Florian Reisecker are missing from the Innviertel team.
Raidel is highly motivated
However, Lena Raidel will be there. The 18-year-old from Strasswalchner, who finished tenth at the U20 European Championships in 2022, is highly motivated. She wants to set the norm for attending the next major event as early as possible. For this, Raidel needs a duel performance of 177 kilograms. National coach Victoria Hahn is also excited to see how the athletes perform. “As the national coach, the outcome of the competition is not decisive for me. It is important for me that the EM starters, especially my ladies, do a good preparatory competition.”
In the WKG Innviertel squad: Sarah Fischer, Lena Raidel, Patrick Dürnberger, Phillip Borsch, Matthias Perik and Jakob Weber.
The regional league also starts on Saturday, March 4th, with the matches between WKG Innviertel Lochen/Ranshofen III and WKG Kraftwerk Salzburg. The competition starts at 4 p.m. in Lochen. It will be difficult for WKG Innviertel Lochen/Ranshofen III to stand up to Salzburg. Nevertheless, Iris Fischer, Helena Maderegger, Jessica Stauceanu, Claudia Krepper, Emilia Bartsch and Levin Speigner will give their all so that they leave the stage as winners in the end.
Also on Saturday, March 4th, the first round of the Upper Austria Junior Cup will take place. Already at 12 o’clock in the Ing. Peter Schnabl Halle in Lochen the young weight lifters will be able to flex their muscles. The hosts of the Union Lochen alone will send ten participants to the start.
