New Records Galore — 2020 Pan American Weightlifting Championships Recap

The rescheduled Pan American Championships in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, have come to a close. Over the course of the event, 15 Pan American records were broken. Team USA had an exceptional showing, raking in 40 medals, including 15 gold. Additionally, five different Team USA weightlifters set new American and/or Pan American records, including Cecily Kyle, Jourdan Delacruz, Mattie Rogers, CJ Cummings, and Taylor Turner Wilkins.

Colombia also had a stellar performance, winning the most medals of any country — they walked away with 43 medals, 22 of which were gold. Lesman Paredes set three new Pan American records in the 102-kilogram class. Brayan Rodallegas scored a Pan American snatch record at 81-kilograms. Miguel Suárez hit a new Pan American clean & jerk record at 55-kilograms. In total, 11 different countries scored at least one medal.

Below are the results from each weight class in the men’s and women’s divisions and the overall medal counts from the event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships Recap — Winners, Records, and Highlights]

Men’s Divisions

Seven Pan American records were replaced across the men’s divisions.

55KG

1. Miguel Suárez, Colombia — 242 kilograms (533.5 pounds)
2. Yeison Michel, Dominican Republic — 237 kilograms (522.5 pounds)
3. José Poox, Mexico — 230 kilograms (507.1 pounds)

Suárez scored a new Pan American clean & jerk record of 137 kilograms (302 pounds). His total was five kilograms shy of matching his fellow countryman Jairo Garcia’s Pan American total record of 247 kilograms (544.5 pounds).

61KG

1. Francisco Mosquera, Colombia — 280 kilograms (617.3 pounds)
2. Otto Oñate, Cuba —276 kilograms (608.5 pounds)
3. Arley Calderón, Cuba — 274 kilograms (604.1 pounds)

Mosquera currently holds the Pan American records for the snatch (135 kilograms), clean & jerk (172 kilograms), and total (304 kilograms). He scored the snatch and total records at the 2018 World Championships and the clean & jerk record a year later at the 2019 World Championships.

67KG

1. Luis Javier Mosquera, Colombia — 318 kilograms (701.1 pounds)
2. Jonathan Muñoz, Mexico — 310 kilograms (683.4 pounds)
3. Edgar Pineda, Guatamala — 307 kilograms (676.8 pounds)

Mosquera won gold in the snatch and clean & jerk at this event with respective lifts of 145 kilograms (319.7 pounds) and 173 kilograms (381.4 pounds).

73KG

1. CJ Cummings, USA — 343 kilograms (756.2 pounds)
2. Julio Mayora, Venezuela — 341 kilograms (751.8 pounds)
3. Jorge Cárdenas, Mexico — 319 kilograms (703.3 pounds)

Cummings’ 155-kilogram (341.7-pound) clean & jerk was not only a gold-medal-winning lift but also a new American record. It was just one less than Mayora’s Pan American record 156-kilogram (343.9-pound) lift.

[Related: Weightlifters Li Dayin and Lü Xiaojun Both Score World Records In Snatch Battle]

81KG

1. Brayan Rodallegas — 363 kilograms (800.3 pounds)
2. Zacarias Bonnat, Dominican Republic — 360 kilograms (793.7 pounds)
3. Harrison Maurus, USA —340 kilograms (749.6 pounds)

Rodallegas’ first-place snatch of 168 kilograms (370.4 pounds) was a new Pan American record. Bonnat currently holds the Pan American records for the clean & jerk and total — 206 kilograms (454.2 pounds) and 368 kilograms (811.3 pounds), respectively. Both lifts were scored at the “Manuel Suárez In Memoriam” International Tournament on March 6, 2020.

89KG

1. Diego Betancur, Colombia — 365 kilograms (804.7 pounds)
2. Olfides Sáez, Cuba — 355 kilograms (782.6 pounds)
3. Yeimar Mendoza, Colombia — 347 kilograms (765 pounds)

The rank that these weightlifters finished overall is the same ranks they scored in the snatch and clean & jerk. None of Chile’s Arley Méndez’s Pan American records were in too much danger. He had five kilograms to spare on both of Betancur’s lifts.

96KG

1. Jhonatan Rivas, Colombia — 393 kilograms (866.4 pounds)
2. Boady Santavy, Canada — 389 kilograms (857.6 pounds)
3. Nathan Damron, USA —374 kilograms (824.5 pounds)

Santavy’s snatch of 181 kilograms (399 pounds) was a new Pan American record. The other two records in this weight class belong to Rivas, who hit a 213-kilogram (469.9-pound) clean & jerk and 393-kilogram (866.4-pound) total at the 2019 IWF Grand Prix ODESUR CSLP.

102KG

1. Lesman Paredes, Colombia — 390 kilograms (859.8 pounds)
2. Juan Zaldivar, Cuba — 357 kilograms (787.1 pounds)
3. Jason Bonnick, USA — 347 kilograms (765 pounds)

Paredes performance set three new Pan American records — 180-kilogram (396.8-pound) snatch and 210-kilogram (463-pound) clean & jerk.

[Related: 2021 European Weightlifting Championships Results]

109KG

1. Juan Columbié, Cuba — 375 kilograms (826.7 pounds)
2. Rafael Cero, Colombia — 370 kilograms (815.7 pounds)
3. Hernán Viera, Peru —361 kilograms (795.9 pounds)

The current Pan American snatch record is 190 kilograms (418.9 pounds), scored by Jorge Arroyo of Ecuador. The Pan American clean & jerk and total records are held by USA’s Wesley Kitts — 223-kilogram (491.6-pound) snatch and 399-kilogram (879.6-pound) total.

+109KG

1. Fernando Reis, Brazil — 425 kilograms (937 pounds)
2. Caine Wilkes, USA — 388 kilograms (855.4 pounds)
3. Raúl Manrique, Mexica — 380 kilograms (837.8 pounds)

Reis swept gold in this class with a 190-kilogram snatch and a 235-kilogram (518.1-pound) clean & jerk. Wilkes took home three silver medals via a 176-kilogram (388-pound) snatch and a 212-kilogram (467.4-pound) clean and jerk.

Women’s Divisions

Eight Pan American records were set at this event across the women’s divisions.

45KG

1. Cicely Kyle, USA — 166 kilograms (366 pounds)
2. Diana Chay, Mexico — 155 kilograms (341.7 pounds)
3. Viviana Muñoz, Mexico — 149 kilograms (328.5 pounds)

Kyle swept gold and set a new American clean & jerk record of 96 kilograms (211.6 pounds).

49KG

1. Jourdan Delacruz, USA — 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds)
2. Hayley Reichardt, USA — 189 kilograms (416.7 pounds)
3. Manuela Berrio, Colombia — 180 kilograms (396.8 pounds)

Delacruz posted one of the most impressive performances by an American weightlifter in decades. She swept gold and set new American and Pan American records for both lifts and total. She hit an 89-kilogram (196.2-pound) snatch and a 111-kilogram (244.7-pound) clean & jerk.

[Related: Weightlifter Emily Muskett Ends Britain’s 26-Year Gold Medal Drought at the 2021 EWC]

55KG

1. Ana López, Mexico — 200 kilograms (440.9 pounds)
2. Génesis Rodríguez, Venezuela — 197 kilograms (434.3 pounds)
3. Nathalia Novas, Dominican Republic — 197 kilograms (434.3 pounds)

López was the only weightlifter from Mexico to take home gold for a first-place overall finish.

59KG

1. Yusleidy Figueroa, Venezuela — 218 kilograms (480.6 pounds)
2. Rosive Silgado, Colombia — 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds)
3. Taylor Turner Wilkins, USA— 217 kilograms (478.4 pounds)

Silgado currently holds the Pan American records for the clean & jerk (126 kilograms) and the total (222 kilograms). Turner Wilkins set new American records for both lifts and total. Her snatch was 95 kilograms (209.4 pounds), and her clean & jerk was 122 kilograms (269 pounds).

[Related: Lasha Talakhadze Sets Two World Records — 222-Kilogram Snatch/485-Kilogram Total]

64KG

1. Maude Charron, Canada — 240 kilograms (529.1 pounds)
2. Mercedes Pérez, Colombia — 234 kilograms (515.9 pounds)
3. Angie Palacios, Ecuador — 225 kilograms (496 pounds)

Charron’s dominant performance consisted of three Pan American records. She snatched 107 kilograms (235.9 pounds) and clean & jerked 133 kilograms (293.2 pounds).

71KG

1. Meredith Alwine, USA — 238 kilograms (524.7 pounds)
2. Mari Sánchez, Colombia — 231 kilograms (509.3 pounds)
3. Mailyng Echeverría, Colombia — 230 kilograms (507.1 pounds)

All three Pan American records in this class are currently in Katherine Nye‘s name: 112-kilogram snatch (246.9-pound), 137-kilogram (302-pound) clean & jerk, and 248-kilogram (546.8-pound) total.

76KG

1. Neisi Dajomes, Ecuador — 250 kilograms (551.2 pounds)
2. Katherine Nye, USA — 235 kilograms (518.1 pounds)
3. Anacarmen Torres, Mexico — 233 kilograms (513.7 pounds

Dajomes set a Pan American snatch and total records at the 2018 World Championships — 117 kilograms (257.9 pounds) and 259 kilograms (571 pounds), respectively.

81KG

1. Mattie Rogers, USA — 251 kilograms (553.4 pounds)
2. Leydi Solís, Colombia — 247 kilograms (544.5 pounds)
3. Jesse Stemo, USA — 242 kilograms (533.5 pounds)

Jessie Stemo snatched 108 kilograms (238.1 pounds) for a new Pan American record on her second attempt, but it was replaced by Rogers’ snatch of 111 kilograms (244.7 pounds). Rogers also scored a new Pan American record total.

[Related: The Best Weight Plates for Powerlifting, Weightlifting, Home Gyms, and More]

87KG

1. Crismery Santana, Dominican Republic — 257 kilograms (566.9 pounds)
2. Tamara Salazar, Ecuador — 256 kilograms (564.4 pounds)
3. Dayana Chirino, Venezuela — 247 kilograms (544.5 pounds)

Santana was the lone overall victor in any weight class for the host nation. The Dominican Republic won four medals in total.

+87KG

1. Sarah Robles, USA — 280 kilograms (617.3 pounds)
2. Yaniuska Espinosa, Venezuela — 262 kilograms (577.6 pounds)
3. Lisseth Ayoví, Ecuador — 260 kilograms (573.2 pounds)

Robles holds the Pan American records for the clean & jerk – 162 kilograms (357.2 pounds) — and total — 290 kilograms (639.3 pounds). Verónica Saladin of the Dominican Republic currently holds the Pan American snatch record of 130 kilograms (286.6 pounds).

2020 Pan American Championships Medal Table

Primarily, the medal race was between two countries — Colombia and the USA. Together, they collected 83 of a possible 180 medals, including 37 gold. Here is the full medal breakdown:

1. Colombia — 43 medals
   • Gold — 22
   • Silver — 11
   • Bronze — 10
2. USA — 40 medals
   • Gold — 15
   • Silver — 12
   • Bronze — 13
3. Mexico — 26 medals
   • Gold — two
   • Silver — eight
   • Bronze — 16
4. Dominican Republic — 16 medals
   • Gold — four
   • Silver — six
   • Bronze — six
5. Venezuela — 15 medals
   • Gold — four
   • Silver — six
   • Bronze — five
6. Cuba — 13 medals
   • Gold — two
   • Silver — eight
   • Bronze — three
7. Ecuador — 12 medals
   • Gold — four
   • Silver — four
   • Bronze — four
8. Canada — Six medals
   • Gold — four
   • Silver — two
9. Brazil — Four medals
   • Gold — three
   • Silver — one 
10. Peru — Three medals
    • Silver — one
    • Bronze — two
11. Guatemala — Two medals
    • Silver — one
    • Bronze — one

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2020 Tokyo Olympic Games

The rescheduled 2020 Pan American Championships were a gold-level qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Games are still scheduled for July 23 through Aug. 8, 2021, but will be without international spectators.

World Records

Although many of the athletes who had medal performances at the 2020 Pan American Championships will compete at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, the world records in nearly every division are significantly more than the Pan American records. Currently, 26 out of 60 world records are held by weightlifters from China — who are looking quite strong judging by their performances at the rescheduled 2020 Asian Weightlifting Championships. Shi Zhiyong, Hou Zhihui, Li Dayin, and Yang Zhe all hit new world records representing China.

There are still several weight classes with vacant world records. The world record standard has not yet been hit since the International Weightlifting Federations approved new weightlifting categories back in 2018. Here are the world records with vacancies:

Men’s Divisions

• 55 kilograms — snatch
• 89 kilograms — snatch, clean & jerk, total
• 102 kilograms — snatch, clean & jerk, total

Women’s Divisions

• 45 kilograms — snatch, clean & jerk, total
• 71 kilograms — snatch
• 81 kilograms — snatch, clean & jerk, total
• 87 kilograms — snatch, clean & jerk, total

We will see if any of the Pan American lifters can translate their success to the world stage and claim any world records for themselves.

Feature image from Federación Panamericana Pesas’ Instagram page: @panampesas