No surprise, really. As her dad, Vern Mangold, put it, “This is the biggest day of her life.”
The 22-year-old former Alter High School football player competes Sunday at the Greater Columbus Convention Center for a chance to represent the United States in London this summer. The Olympic weightlifting trials are part of the Arnold Sports Festival, a 45-sport extravaganza named for famed bodybuilder/actor/politician Arnold Schwarzenegger, and scheduled to attract 18,000 athletes from more than 80 countries.
Mangold, who grew up in Centerville and will be among 15 competing for two spots, is no stranger to spectacle — or publicity. The 5-foot-8, 340-pound sister of New York Jets center Nick Mangold (Alter, Ohio State) has been a national media darling since high school when, as an offensive lineman, she became the first girl to play on a state championship team.
But the road to this point has not always been smooth.
At the 2010 American Open in Cincinnati, Mangold failed to complete all her lifts in a competition that would have helped her reach her Olympic goal sooner. Worse, the event was part of MTV’s “True Life” reality series.
After recovering from that disappointment and also from knee surgery, Mangold set career bests at last year’s Arnold. Now it’s just about seizing the moment.
The Arnold, held in Columbus since 1989, is billed as the largest multi-sport event in the nation.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2408 or smcclelland @DaytonDailyNews.com
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