The 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, are finally here. For the best super-heavyweight Women’s weightlifters in the world, the moment of reckoning came during the +81-kilogram event on August 11.
Here’s what went down yesterday:
BarBend will update this page as the event progresses, including podium results and a play-by-play of the competition from start to finish. Stay tuned!
2024 Olympics: Women’s +81KG Weightlifting
- Li Wenwen (CHN): 325
- Park Hyejeong (KOR): 296
- Emily Campbell (GBR): 287
- Duangaskorn Chaidee (THA): 286
- Mary Theisen-Lappen (USA): 283
- Lisseth Ayovi Cabezas (ECU): 276
- Halima Abbas (EGY): 275
- Naryury Perez Reveron (VEN): 267
- Iuniarra Sipaia (SAM): 267
- Crismery Santana Peguero (DOM): 263
- Nurul Akmal (INA): 260, Reallocation
- Tursunoy Jabborova (UZB): 258, Reallocation
2024 Olympics Women’s +81KG Weightlifting Results
- Gold: Li Wenwen (CHN) — 309 (136/173)
- Silver: Park Hyejeong (KOR) — 299 (131/168)
- Bronze: Emily Campbell (GBR) — 288 (126/162)
Event Recap — Snatch
Samoa’s Sipaia Iuniarra kicked off the final session of the Paris Olympics with a 100-kilogram snatch. She would finish her effort with 105 as her best result after missing 110 on her third try. Indonesia’s Nurual Akbal had similar luck, missing 110 twice in a row as well.
Several athletes clustered around the 115-kilogram mark for their first or second lifts, including Team USA’s Mary Theisen-Lappen, who logged a successful result early on. Venezuela’s Perez came out shortly after at 117; Perez missed it twice in a row.
Theisen-Lappen continued to play things safe in the snatches by plus-three’ing to 118 on her second attempt, but missed in front. Dominican Santana plus Uzbekistan’s Jabborova and Britain’s Emily Campbell all opened successfully at 118 to 119, while Theisen-Lappen managed 119 on her last attempt.
Thailand’s Chaidee came out on her birthday to open with the first 120 of the session but missed it twice in a row. By the skin of her teeth, she saved it on her final attempt and stayed in the game.
Likely silver medalist Park Hyejeong of Korea deposited 123 into her account on her opening attempt, followed by Campbell, who matched it. Campbell continued to wedge herself deeper and deeper into medal contention by pulling out 126 on her final attempt.
Reigning Olympic Champion Li Wenwen of China was allegedly seen defying physics in the South Paris Arena with her opening lift at 130 kilograms. Park was similarly rude to Einstein and his theory when she sent 131 soaring overhead on her final attempt.
With two probably unnecessary attempts remaining, Li opted to leave her competitors in the dust by snatching 136, six more than her opener and five more than Park’s best effort. Bored senseless by the lightness of the weights, Li declined to take her final snatch.
Event Recap — Clean & Jerk
The second half of the competition had a slow start as Jabborova and Egypt’s Halima Abbas traded blows between 133 and 140 kilograms in the clean & jerk; the former finished with 133 while Abbas stayed in the game during and after the 140-kilogram mark.
With her Paris ranking on the line, Santana valorously made 140 kilograms on her final attempt after missing it twice in a row and departed the stage to loud applause from the audience. Sipaia made a good lift at 141 but failed 148 on her final attempt, ending Samoa’s run in the category.
Egypt’s Akmal made a gutsy jump from 140 to 151 between attempts one and three; her gamble nearly paid off, but she dropped the bar behind her head on the split jerk. Then came Theisen-Lappen to put away a snug 155 and post a Total.
Chaidee logged 152 successfully but couldn’t muster the strength for anything more, ending her bid. Campbell came out ten kilograms heavier and made her 162-kilogram opener look more like 16.2. Theisen-Lappen tried the same on her second attempt, but it looked more like 1,662 kilograms for the American.
Ecuador’s Lisseth Ayovi came out with the crowd on her side and fire in her lungs for her own crack at 162, clapping her hands and smiling. She missed the clean but got a lot of love from the audience at the end of her Paris journey.
Park, just 21 but with the strength and composure of a veteran, followed with an impeccable opener at 163. In a do-or-die medal bid, Theisen-Lappen called for a whopping 165 on her last attempt. She failed to clean the bar again.
The steel plates on Li of China’s barbell were replaced by helium balloons, and she sent “167” effortlessly flying overhead on her first attempt to likely secure the gold medal. Park would contend that prediction by following up with 168; not enough to move into gold, but securing silver for the moment.
Campbell would jockey for Park’s second-place position by calling for 169, but Campbell, like Theisen-Lappen, couldn’t clean the bar. She strutted off stage with one attempt remaining.
The bar crossed the 170-kilogram mark. Li drew first blood on three reds with her second attempt at 173. Park also took her last attempt at 173 — she missed the jerk, exposing her silver medal position to Campbell.
Campbell also failed her last attempt, leaving her with the bronze medal behind Korea and China.
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2024 Olympics Weightlifting Schedule
Weightlifting events will be held at the 2024 Olympics from Aug. 7 to Aug. 11, 2024, in Paris, France. Catch all the action live by referring to the full schedule below. All times are in Eastern Standard Time and are subject to change:
Wednesday, August 7
- 9:00 AM: Men’s 61KG
- 1:30 PM: Women’s 49KG
Thursday, August 8
- 9:00 AM: Women’s 59KG
- 1:30 PM: Men’s 73KG
Friday, August 9
- 9:00 AM: Men’s 89KG
- 1:30 PM: Women’s 71KG
Saturday, August 10
- 5:30 AM: Men’s 102KG
- 10:00 AM: Women’s 81KG
- 2:30 PM: Men’s +102KG
Sunday, August 11
- 5:30 AM: Women’s +81KG
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Featured Image: USA Weightlifting
