The 10th weight category to compete at the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was the Women’s 76-kilogram weight class. Groups B and A competed on Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, at 12:50 a.m. EST and 6:50 a.m. EST, respectively.
Women’s 76-Kilogram Results
- Neisi Patricia Dajomes Barrera (Ecuador) — 263 (118/145) (Gold)
- Katherine Elizabeth Nye (United States) — 249 (111/138) (Silver)
- Aremi Fuentes Zavala (Mexico) — 245 (108/137) (Bronze)
- Patricia Strenius (Sweden) — 235 (102/133)
- Darya Naumava (Belarus) — 234 (103/131)
- Kumushkhon Fayzullaeva (Uzbekistan) — 227 (101/126)
- Emily Muskett (Great Britain) — 222 (98/124)
- Kristel Ngarlem (Canada) — 218 (95/123)
- Mahassen Hala Fattouh (Lebanon) — 217 (93/124)
- Nancy Genzel Abouke (Nauru) — 203 (90/113)
- Jean Gaelle Eyenga Mboosi (Cameroon) — 202 (91/111)
- Iryna Dekha (Ukraine) — X (113/X) Did Not Finish
- Kim Suhyeon (South Korea) — X (106/X) Did Not Finish
Note: the above stats are structured as — Total (Snatch/Clean & Jerk)
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[Related: The Full 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Weightlifting Roster]
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games — Women’s 76KG
Here are the 13 athletes in the Women’s 76-kilogram category who competed in Tokyo:
76-Kilogram Roster
Group A
- Darya Naumava — Belarus
- Neisi Patricia Dajomes Barrera — Ecuador
- Kim Suhyeon — South Korea
- Aremi Fuentes Zavala — Mexico
- Patricia Caroline Strenius — Sweden
- Iryna Dekha — Ukraine
- Katherine Elizabeth Nye — USA
- Kumushkhon Fayzullaeva — Uzbekistan
Group B
- Kristel Ngarlem — Canada
- Jean Gaelle Eyenga Mboosi — Cameroon
- Emily Victoria Godley — Great Britain
- Nancy Genzel Abouke — Nauru
- Mahassen Hala Fattouh — Lebanon
Naumava was the only medalist from the 75-kilogram class at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games to compete in Tokyo (new weightlifting categories were approved by the IWF in 2018) — she won silver. Heading into the Games, the snatch and total world records in the 76-kilogram class were held by Rim Jong-sim of North Korea, who was not present in Tokyo. She hit both world records at the 2019 IWF World Championships. The clean & jerk world record was scored at the 2019 IWF World Cup by Zhang Wangli of China.
76-Kilogram World Records
- Snatch — Rim Jong-sim, 124 kilograms (273.4 pounds)
- Clean & Jerk — Zhang Wangli, 156 kilograms (343.9 pounds)
- Total — Rim Jong-sim, 278 kilograms (612.9 pounds)
Session Recap
Here’s a play-by-play of the action on the platform.
Snatch
A competitive roster in the Women’s 76-kilogram category rapidly collapsed to a narrow race as lifters Fayzullaeva of Uzbekistan, Sweden’s Strenius, and Belarusian athlete Naumava finished their campaigns with mixed results. Naumava, who placed second in Rio by snatching 116 kilograms, finished her day with a best lift of only 103.
With the bar above 110 kilograms, Nye of the United States battled Ukranian lifter Dekha in a tight back-and-forth. The Ukranian, having missed her second attempt at 113, was unable to make the run she wanted, enabling Nye to come out for 114 kilograms on her third attempt and successfully lift it.
However, a late intervention by the jury resulted in Nye losing the lift for releasing the barbell too early after standing — a little-known stipulation that the competitor must grip the bar until it is below shoulder height cost the USA 2nd place in the snatches. Nye finished with a best result of 111.
Dajomes, who took a comfortable first lift of 111, returned at the tail end of the portion to lift 115 and 118 with gusto, placing herself firmly ahead of the pack going into the clean & jerks.
Clean & Jerk
Circumstances changed rapidly in the second half of the competition as second-place snatcher Dekha missed all three of her jerks at 131 kilograms. With ground to make up, Nye followed by successfully jerking 133 kilograms, leaving no doubt for the jury this time.
Dajomes appeared early at 135 to solidify a total. Suhyeon opened exceptionally high with 138 kilograms but was denied by another strict jury call, this time for a soft elbow. Strenius made a strong third effort at 138, well above her personal best, but couldn’t clinch it.
With three athletes remaining, Dajomes stepped onstage again for a 140-kilogram jerk, all but guaranteeing the gold medal. Suhyeon made a do-or-die final lift at 140 kilograms but collapsed in tears. Nye pushed her final attempt higher backstage, forcing Dajomes to appear for her final lift at 145 kilograms, which laced up an impeccable 6-for-6 performance.
Nye, already ensured for silver, came out for the final lift of the event at 148 kilograms, far above anything she’s done on an international stage. She caught her clean, but failed to stand it up, but was elated to finish in second place.
[Related: New ITA Report Reveals Doping Violations, Corruption, and Cover-Ups in Weightlifting]
The Games Continue
The next two sessions will feature Women’s 87-kilogram and Women’s +87-kilogram categories. Group B for both categories will compete on Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, at 10:50 p.m. EST. Group A for the Women’s 87-kilogram class will compete on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, at 2:50 a.m. EST. Group A for the Women’s +87-kilogram class competes four hours later at 6:50 a.m EST.
Feature image: @moochila on Instagram
