The 12th weight category to compete at the rescheduled 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games was the Women’s +87-kilogram weight class. Groups B competed on Sunday, Aug. 1, 2021, at 10:50 p.m. EST. Group A competed on Monday, Aug. 2, 2021, at 2:50 a.m. EST.
Women’s +87-Kilogram Results
- Li Wenwen (China) — 320 (140/180) (Gold, Olympic Record)
- Emily Campbell (Great Britain) — 283 (122/161) (Silver)
- Sarah Robles (United States) — 282 (128/154) (Bronze)
- Lee Seon Mi (South Korea) — 277 (125/152)
- Nurul Akmal (Indonesia) — 256 (115/141)
- Charisma Amoe-Tarrant (Australia) — 243 (105/138)
- Veronica Estela Saladin Tolentino (Dominican Republic) — 242 (111/131*)
- Kuinini Juanita Mechteld Manumua — 228 (103/125)
- Eyurkenia Duverger Pileta (Cuba) — 225 (96/129)
- Sarah Fischer (Austria) — 220 (97/123)
- Anna Van Bellinghen (Belgium) — 219 (96/123)
- Bilegsaikhan Erdenebat (Mongolia) — 207 (85/122)
- Scarleth Vanessa Ucelo Marroquin (Guatemala) — 203 (87/116)
- Laurel Hubbard (New Zealand) — X (X/X) Did Not Finish
Note: the above stats are structured as — Total (Snatch/Clean & Jerk)
*Saladin withdrew from competition prior to attempting her final clean & jerk.
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[Related: The Full 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Weightlifting Roster]
2020 Tokyo Olympic Games — Women’s +87KG
Here are the 14 athletes in the Women’s +87-kilogram category who competed in Tokyo:
+87-Kilogram Roster
Group A
- Charisma Amoe-Tarrant — Australia
- Sarah Fischer — Austria
- Li Wenwen — China
- Veronica Estela Saladin Tolentino — Domincan Republic
- Emily Jade Campbell — Great Britain
- Nurul Akmal — Indonesia
- Lee Seon Mi — South Korea
- Laurel Hubbard — New Zealand
- Kuinini Juanita Mechteld Manumua — Tonga
- Sarah Elizabeth Robles — USA
Group B
- Scarleth Vanessa Ucelo Marroquin — Guatemala
- Eyurkenia Duverger Pileta — Cuba
- Bilegsaikhan Erdenebat — Mongolia
- Anna Marie Vanbellinghen — Belgium
Robles is the lone returning medalist from the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, having earned bronze in the +75-kilogram class (new weightlifting categories were approved by the IWF in 2018). Heading into the Games, Wenwen held all three world records in this weight class. She scored them all at the rescheduled 2020 Asian Championships.
+87-Kilogram World Records
- Snatch — Li Wenwen, 148 kilograms (326.3 pounds)
- Clean & Jerk — Li Wenwen, 187 kilograms (412.3 pounds)
- Total — Li Wenwen, 335 kilograms (738.6 pounds)
Session Recap
Here’s a play-by-play of the action on the platform.
Snatch
The snatch portion of the competition began with a wide array of lifts posted from all competitors. The lightest opener by Austria’s Fischer (93 kilograms) ended up being 37 kilograms behind that of the final athlete, Li Wenwen of China.
Despite a rapid ascension in weight on the bar, the session proceeded with few misses — New Zealand athlete Laurel Hubbard was the only athlete to register an incomplete performance. After missing her opening attempt at 120 kilograms, she went up to 125, which was mostly technically sound but was denied by the judges two to one. She failed to achieve the same weight on her final attempt, disqualifying her from finishing the event.
Easy lifts start to finish from Seon Mi of Korea and the United States’ Sarah Robles, who finished at 125 and 128 respectively, cleared the road for presumptive gold medalist Wenwen.
The Chinese contingent lowered their opener by five kilograms to comfortably establish a lead with a first lift of 130 kilograms. Wenwen would emerge, following herself, to post 135 and then 140 kilograms, besting the unclaimed Olympic Standard by one kilogram to conclude the snatch portion.
Clean & Jerk
Clean & jerks proceeded similarly to the snatches, with the weight on the bar steadily and quickly climbing to over 130 kilograms. Amoe-Tarrant of Australia drove the bar seven kilograms higher on her final attempt at 138, which was originally red-lighted but retroactively granted by the jury.
Akmal of Indonesia began her jerks at 141. Momentum continued as Seon Mi moved the bar to 148 with a successful, easy-looking opener. Campbell, seeking to make up ground from her 122-kilogram final snatch, opened with a commanding 150 kilograms, a weight that Robles matched on her first just as easily.
Medal contenders emerged clearly as Seon Mi, Robles, and Campbell battled in the 150-kilogram area for the bronze and silver-medal positions. Akmal, having only made 141 kilograms for her first attempt, took very courageous jumps to 151 and 154, though neither were successful.
Campbell’s second attempt, 156 kilograms, earned Great Britain their first women’s Olympic weightlifting medal after Seon Mi narrowly missed her final jerk at one kilogram lighter. Robles would conclude her Olympic performance with her only missed attempt of the day at 157.
Campbell, in an extraordinary maneuver, jerked 161 kilograms on her third attempt to steal silver from Sarah Robles. Her lift was a full seven kilograms above her personal best, prompting a vicious but well-earned celebration on stage.
Wenwen, who originally listed her opening attempt at 175 kilograms, dropped to 162 and achieved it — and the gold medal — with ease. She locked in a new Olympic Record with her next lift at 173 kilograms. To the astonishment of none, she did yet another record two minutes later at 180 kilograms for the final lift of the day.
[Related: New ITA Report Reveals Doping Violations, Corruption, and Cover-Ups in Weightlifting]
The Games Continue
The final two sessions will feature the Men’s 109-kilogram and Men’s +109-kilogram categories. Groups B and A for the Men’s 109-kilogram class will compete on Tuesday, Aug. 3, 2021, at 12:50 a.m. EST and 6:50 a.m. EST, respectively. Groups B and A for the Men’s +109-kilogram class will compete at the same times the following day — on Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021, at 12:50 a.m. EST and 6:50 a.m. EST, respectively.
Feature image: Frame Art/Shutterstock
