Halil Zorba

Halil Zorba
Personal information
Born 22 September 1988
London, United Kingdom
Sport
Country  United Kingdom
 England
Sport Weightlifting
Event(s) -77kg division
Coached by Keith Morgan
Updated on 11 July 2012.

Halil Zorba (born 22 September 1988) is a British weightlifter. He represented England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, and was in contention for the British team for the 2012 Summer Olympics but was ultimately not chosen for the team despite being British Champion in his weight class. He competes part-time, continuing with his career as a civil engineer.

Early life

Halil Zorba was born on 22 September 1988,[1] and is of Turkish Cypriot heritage.[2] He attended Bethnal Green Technology College, where he was taught PE by 1964 Olympian George Manners.[3] He took up weightlifting whilst at the college, before going to University, and he receives funding support to compete from the National Lottery.[2]

Career

He broke into the world's top 100 in his weight division, 69 kg, at the age of 19, and was ranked second in the British senior rankings.[2] A back injury saw him miss the 2008 European Championships.[2] He represented England at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi; competing in the 69kg category, he managed to come 4th in group B and went on to finish 10th overall out of 18.[4]

At the 2011 World Weightlifting Championships, he lifted 125 kilograms (276 lb) in the snatch, setting a new personal best; however, he suffered an injury to his leg prior to the clean and jerk, resulting in a lift of only 165 kilograms (364 lb). This resulted in the combined weight being less than the minimum standard to be considered for the 2012 Summer Olympics.[3]

Zorba went into the English Championships seeking to make the Olympic qualifying standard.[5] He reached the Olympic B grade, setting a new British record in the clean and jerk of 171 kilograms (377 lb) at the same time. Following the breaking of the record, he twice attempted to lift 175 kilograms (386 lb), but failed on each occasion. His performance made Zorba the second British competitor to meet the Olympic standard after Jack Oliver.[6]

He was named to the British team for the 2012 European Weightlifting Championships.[7] He lifted a combined weight of 285 kilograms (628 lb), finishing in 21st position.[8] He was a candidate for one of the three male weightlifting spots for the host country at the 2012 Olympics, having won the British Championship at the British Olympic trials in addition to achieving the B qualifying standard.[1] However, he was not chosen for the British team, with Oliver, Peter Kirkbride and Gareth Evans chosen instead.[9]

Zorba trains at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre with coach Keith Morgan.[10] Zorba remains British record holder in several categories, including both the clean and jerk and the snatch in the 69kg category of the men's under eighteen competition,[11] and the clean and jerk in both the 69kg and 77kg categories of the men's under 23 competition. [12]

Personal life

Zorba is related to the former British javelin thrower and multiple medal-winner Fatima Whitbread on his mother's side of the family.[2] He works as a civil engineer full-time having qualified from the University of Brighton,[1][4] splitting his time between that and his sport.[1]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Hope, Nick (1 June 2012). "London 2012: Nervous wait for GB weightlifters after Olympic trials". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 BBC (13 March 2008). "Zorba aims to lift London in 2012". BBC News. Retrieved 01-03-2011. Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Moody, Graham (24 November 2011). "Zorba's Olympic weightlifting ambition". Epsom Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 University of Brighton. "Halil competes at the Commonwealth Games". Retrieved 1 March 2011.
  5. ↑ Moody, Graham (17 February 2012). "Zorba takes Olympic quest to English Championships". Sutton Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  6. ↑ Moody, Graham (23 February 2012). "Zorba pleased to make the Olympic grade". Streatham Guardian. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  7. ↑ Hope, Nick (11 April 2011). "London 2012: GB weightlifter Zoe Smith closes in on Olympic place". BBC Sport. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  8. ↑ "GB weightlifters Oliver and Godley achieve Olympic qualifying standard". Daily Mail. 13 April 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  9. ↑ "Not long to weight now as teen star Smith is named in Team GB". Daily Mail. 11 June 2012. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  10. ↑ Bird, Emma (20 February 2012). "Zorba's hopes boosted". Sky Sports. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  11. ↑ "Men's U18 Records". British Weightlifting. Retrieved 11 July 2012.
  12. ↑ "Men's U23 Records". British Weightlifting. Retrieved 11 July 2012.