Cape Town - A Cape Town youngster is considered to be the top male weightlifter in South Africa after having won gold at the 2022 South African Weightlifting Championships.
Jon-Antohein Phillips, 22, from Strand, started weightlifting at the age of 12.
At the time, Phillips felt he was not progressing in karate and it was then suggested by his father to give weightlifting a try. Phillips was introduced to the sport through a friend in Grade R.
Phillips currently holds nine South African records, three junior and six senior, and is currently considered the best male weightlifter in South Africa, after having won at the national championships on October 22-23 in Mossel Bay.
Other notable achievements by Phillips include winning the South African Youth Champion of Champions in 2017.
In the same year, Phillips travelled to Uganda for the African Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships, walking away with six bronze medals.
In 2018 and 2019, he won the Western Province Junior Champion of Champions.
In 2022, he travelled to Mauritius for the Commonwealth Qualifying Games winning Gold in his division. He was placed in the Top 10 for the Commonwealth Games held in the UK.
“Winning this actually meant a lot because I’ve won in my division many times but ever since I started weightlifting, it was like a slow build towards becoming the best South African weightlifter for the males,” Phillips said.
“Last year I told myself, ‘this year is my decade year’ so I want to make it my best year.”
Phillips, who currently coaches himself, said his future goal was to attend the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics.
“Currently, that’s a bit hard because, in order to go, we have to compete in five international competitions but also, we have to be placed in the Top 10 in the world.
“I'm not too worried about the placing, I’m more worried about going to international competitions, going to the qualifying events, because in South Africa currently we have to pay for our own international travels, which makes it hard because there have been many competitions that I couldn’t compete in because of finances. But I’m excited to see what the future holds and what things I can still accomplish.”
Phillips' mother Pearl praised her son for his dedication to the sport.
“It wasn't easy for him because of transport. Sometimes I had to leave work to take him to the Strand gym. Our area is also not so safe because he was chased many times on his walk home from the gym but he kept going.”