Chiang Mai, Thailand - She lifted here in 1997, the last time the World Weightlifting Championships were in town, and today - ten years and three children later - Melanie Roach (USA) was back . . . and with a bang.


Melanie Roach (USA) went six for six this afternoon at the World Weightlifting Championships, outdoing her performance ten years and three children ago, proving that getting better, not just older, really can happen. IronMind® | Randall J. Strossen, Ph.D. photo.

Everyone likes to think that he or she is getting better, not just older, and today Melanie Roach proved it's true for her: While the rest of the USA team has been struggling to make good lifts, Roach went six for six, a perfect day, and she outdid the lifts she made a decade ago, while weighing slightly less.

Lifting in the 54-kg category in 1997 World Weightlifting Championships, she only made her openers, 75 and 97.5, but today, competing in the 53-kg category, Melanie Roach marched through 74, 77 and then 79 kg in the snatch, and 105, 107 and 110 kg in the clean and jerk.

And for the mathematically or metrically challenged, Roach cleaned and jerked over double bodyweight, and the 242 pounds she made is more than a lot of high school football players could do.