Africa Youth and Junior champ Achieng eyes LA Olympics ticket

Rachel Achieng Enock 76kg category during the Africa Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championship on November 22, 2024. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The women's 76kg continental ace is keen to avoid mistakes that broke her heart in last year's Paris Olympics qualifiers.

Achieng to miss Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics qualifiers after joining the senior ranks.

Ochieng Oyugi, Nairobi

African women's 76kg Junior and Youth weightlifting champion Rachel Achieng was heartbroken when she missed qualifying for the Paris Olympics last year by a whisker.

She felt her world in the sport had come to an end, but she soon gathered courage, got up, dusted herself, and soldiered on.

She has returned to the game twice inspired, with focus to punch tickets to the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland and to book a berth in Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

So far, her trajectory is going on well, and this was confirmed by the three gold medals she scooped in the 13th edition of the African Youth and Junior Weightlifting Championships held in Nairobi last November in the women's 76kg category.

"I was let down in the Paris Olympics qualifiers by my snatch, clean and jerk, but I'm working on them now because I don't want that kind of heartbreak again," she told Standard Sports.

"I had invested so much in that qualifier and was looking forward to doing my thing in France, only for the process to turn into a bad day at the office," she lamented.

"Currently, I'm strengthening my clean and jerk, I want them to be strong as they are a bit low and shaky. But I feel my snatch is fair enough, though I'm also working on it. I don't think I want to leave any stone unturned.

"Also, my coach (Douglas Locho) has told me my squats are a bit slow, so I need to quicken the pace. I already know what to work on to bring them up to speed.

"I'm doing enough preparation to make sure I make it to the two focused events, and this, I know, can only be achieved through hard work and dedication. So, I'm in it. I'm ready for this. I'm working two times hard," she said.

The Africa showpiece held in Nairobi last year was Achieng's last contest before she joined the senior ranks this season, meaning she will not be pursuing any slot for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics now that she will be above 18.

"It was the last competition I was playing as a junior, and finishing strong with three gold medals made me very happy," she said.

Despite her tender age, Achieng is already a role model and a mentor to many players embracing the tough game.

She is mentoring young girls joining the sport, among them is Linda Amanda Omondi, who apes almost everything that Achieng does on and off the gym and court.

"Achieng is my Sunday School teacher, apart from the spiritual nourishment that she oozes, I have learnt a lot of life skills from her. I just want to be like her, she is my guiding light, both at the church and in the sport," Africa Junior and Youth women's 49kg silver medalist, Amanda said.

Achieng feels humbled and appreciated when she hears positive testimonies like that from Amanda and the other girls in the sport, whom she is pleased to mentor.

"People always come to me to guide them. At first, I was hesitant. I was not sure if I was a leader, but all indicators pointed otherwise," Achieng said.

"Now, I'm striving to cultivate servant leadership. Knowing that I have people behind me, who look up to me for strength, keeps me going, because I have to be a good example to them. It is one fact that I appreciate and I'm grateful to be a role model to many," she underlined.

Because mentors also need motivation to carry on with the good job, Achieng draws her strength and inspiration from her father, Locho, who is also the national team head coach.

And she had this to say about her father, who introduced her to the sport:" If I'm out of line, he puts me straight. He has been in this game for so many years, so he knows almost everything. He knows what's best for me."