U.S. OLYMPIC FESTIVAL LOS ANGELES 1991 : WEIGHTLIFTING : Flowers Sets Three U.S. Women’s Records

Five days before going to the national weightlifting championships in April, Sibby Flowers suffered a broken bone and some muscle damage in her lower back when she lost control during a training session. While she was practically on all fours, the bar landed on her. But she still went to Blaine, Minn., to qualify for the Olympic Festival, and came to Los Angeles to earn a spot in the world championships.

“I thought I was going to die at the nationals,” she said.

Friday afternoon, in the opening day of competition at UCLA’s Royce Hall, Flowers set three U.S. records in the 44-kilo (97-pound) class to win the gold medal in resounding fashion.

The 27-year-old Carrollton, Ga., native opened by snatching 138 3/4 pounds to break her own mark set last December in Baton Rouge, La.

Then, after Andrea Tibeau set the American clean-and-jerk record by lifting 167 1/2, Flowers broke that with a 170 3/4 on the next attempt and increased it to 176 1/4. Her combined total of 308 1/2 was good for her third record.

“I came in hunting for them,” Fowers said of the records.

Tibeau, the 1991 national champion, did not win a medal because of three failed attempts in the snatch. Cassie Clark, 13, won the silver and Jackie Blazek, 12, won the bronze.

Hours after Flowers’ three records, another Georgian, Bryan Jacob of Norcross, set two American records.

First, he lifted 265 1/2 pounds in the snatch, then got the combined total mark for the 60-kilo class (132 1/4 pounds) at 589 1/2 pounds.

Both records were set by Isaac Berger at the 1964 Olympics.

In other results:

--Robin Byrd, competing in the women’s 52-kilo (114 1/2-pound) class, set a U.S. record with a clean and jerk of 205 pounds and tied a Festival mark with a snatch of 159 3/4 pounds. Phyllis Nishimoto and Lissa Gould finished behind her.

--Victoria Futch set an Olympic Festival record of 165 1/4 pounds in the 48-kilo (105 3/4-pound) class clean and jerk en route to winning the gold medal. She was followed by Misha Utley and Tamara Torklep.

--Chad Ikei’s 192 3/4-pound snatch for an American junior record highlighted his victory in the men’s 52-kilo (114 1/2-pound) class. Larry Woods earned the silver and Kevin Bauer won the bronze.

--David Bogart won the gold medal in the 56-kilo (123 1/4-pound) division, with Gene Gilsdorf getting the silver and Gary Kawamura winning the bronze.

--Charlie Reid won an open bench press competition of the U.S. Cerebral Palsy Athletic Assn., of 374 pounds, and Juan Dixon set a national record for the 145-pound weight class with a mark of 319 1/2.