Natalie Burgener wears the Nike Romaleos at the Championships in Turkey

(Colorado Springs, Colo.) – With a scream of excitement, 2008 Olympian Natalie Burgener (Colorado Springs, Colo. / Team CrossFit) completed her final lift on Monday at the Senior World Championships in Antalya, Turkey and marked her return to international competition.

 

Two years after last stepping on the international platform at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Burgener picked up where she left off with her 12^th place finish in the 63kg division as she lifted a total of 210kg – one kilogram short of her result in Beijing.

 

“I feel really good and am extremely happy,” Burgener said.  “It’s going to be a progression for the next year, but right now I feel really good as far as coming back.  Every competition I get a little bit better and I totaled five more kilos than I did at Nationals so I’m happy with that.”

Competing at her fourth Worlds, Burgener successfully completed five of her six attempts, missing only her third snatch to post 96kg in the snatch and 114kg in the clean and jerk.

“The one snatch I missed I came as close as you can to making it, but I have a full year til next year’s Worlds and I feel like I can be better than 100% of where I was before.  I’m just looking forward to helping qualify as many spots as possible for the team next year and then hopefully making the Olympics after that,” Burgener said before running off to her next task in Turkey – commentating for the A session of her division for EuroSport.  “I’m looking forward to it.  There should be some amazing lifts tonight!”

Burgener turned out to be right about the depth of competition in the division as Maiya Maneza (KAZ) won the division and set a new World Record of 143kg in the clean and jerk in the process.