Ridge Barredo’s Commonwealth Games campaign ended the hard way in Glasgow, and the way he describes the injury is enough to make most of us cross our legs in sympathy. Many are even saying they are turned off from the sport altogether!
The Aussie weightlifter was going for 162kg on his third snatch attempt in the men’s 110kg class when he heard the dreaded pop the first time he’d ever done anything like that to himself.
Barredo said, “I heard it pop on the third attempt, I tried to give it my all, and I heard it pop [out] and pop back in,” he said. “Just to feel it was a little bit scary. Initial pain was an eight or nine out of 10.” By the time he’d been helped off the Armadillo stage to face the media, the pain had eased to a “six or seven”, and he was calling it “a little bit uncomfortable.”
This was Barredo’s third Commonwealth Games, and even with this setback he seems keen to come back again, saying “It’s not the end. I’m still relatively young, still hungry for it, still want to be the best in Australia,” he said. “I’m not done yet, no way. Not a chance. I’ll be back for sure. Four times, watch, mark my words.”
As painful as this journey’s been, Ridge was very positive that it’s a lot better than heading back to the scene that turned him into an “internet personality” instead of an athlete. According to Ridge, weightlifting is nowhere near as toxic as MAFS.
Three years on, he’s one of the rare success stories still with wife Jade, and their little girl. Both Victoria and Jade were in the crowd watching when Dad’s knee decided to go.
Ridge vowed to be back at Amdavad in four years.
