The temperature isn’t the only thing heating up this summer. The 2022 International Weightlifting Federation‘s (IWF) Pan American Championships were held in Bogotá, Colombia, from Jul. 24 to Jul. 29, and featured some of the best Olympic lifting in the region.
Over the course of six days, athletes from across the Pan American circuit battled it out on the weightlifting platform for gold medals, World team selection and, of course, a bunch of new World Records as well.
Here’s how everything shook out at the competition — medalists, top performers, and which teams brought home the most hardware.
2022 Pan American Weightlifting Championships Results
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2022 Pan American Championships | Women’s Results
The Women’s sessions at the 2022 Pan American Championships were, as usual, smothered in tight competition and impressive lifting from top to bottom. 10 new Women’s Pan American records were set across the various weight categories, five of which owing to the incredible strength and poise of Ecuador’s first female Olympic medalist, Neisi Dajomes.
Women’s 45KG
- Emily Rosa Figueiredo (BRA) — 73/90/163
- Cicely Jevon Kyle (USA) — 71/89/160
- Rosielis Quintana (VEN) — 68/87/155
Women’s 49KG
- Hayley Marie Reichardt (USA) — 84/108/192
- Jourdan Elizabeth Delacruz (USA) — 83/108/191
- Andrea De La Herran Martinez (BRA) — 84/106/190
Women’s 55KG
- Shayla Mariah Moore (USA) — 83/110/193
- Jennifer Carolina Hernandez Chamorro (ECU) — 83/109/192
- Leticia Cristina Laurindo Moraes (BRA) — 85/105/190
Women’s 59KG
- Yenny Fernanda Alvarez Caicedo (COL) — 102/124/226
- Concepcion Usuga Correa (COL) — 98/118/216
- Taylor Marie Wilkins (USA) — 93/122/215
Women’s 64KG
- Nathalia Mosquera Llamosa (COL) — 106/129/235
- Julieth Alejandra Rodriguez Quintero (COL) — 101/123/224
- Queysi Julissa Rojas Gonzalez (MEX) — 93/115/208
Women’s 71KG
- Angie Paola Palacios Dajomes (ECU) — 113/134/247
- Mari Ievis Sanchez Perinan (COL) — 112/134/246
- Meredith Leigh Alwine (USA) — 102/132/234
Women’s 76KG
- Martha Ann Rogers (USA) — 111/141/252
- Hellen Andrea Escobar Aguirre (COL) — 106/133/239
- Mailyn Guadalupe Escheverria Meza (COL) — 103/133/236
Women’s 81KG
- Neici Patricia Dajomes Barrera (ECU) — 120/143/263
- Yudelina Mejia (DOM) — 113/139/252
- Laura Nascimento Amaro (BRA) — 105/138/243
Women’s 87KG
- Tamara Yajaira Salazar Arce (ECU) — 109/142/251
- Yeinny Norela Geles Moreno (COL) — 111/138/249
- Ayamey Damiana Medina Roca (CUB) — 110/137/247
Women’s +87KG
- Sarah Elizabeth Robles (USA) — 125/154/279
- Liseth Betsaida Ayovi Cabeza (ECU) — 115/149/264
- Crismery Santana (DOM) — 118/145/263
Note: The notation above reads as Athlete Name (Nation) — [snatch]/[clean & jerk]/[Total].
2022 Pan American Championships | Men’s Results
The males brought the heat in Bogotá. An especially tight session took place in the 109-kilogram category, where the athletes on the podium were each separated from one another by a margin of a single kilogram.
11 new records were set or broken, 10 of which were Pan American. The only new World Record for the entirety of the competition belonged to Team USA’s 61-kilogram Hampton Morris, who lifted a new Junior worldwide best in the clean & jerk of 162 kilograms.
Men’s 55KG
- Miguel Angel Suarez Meza (COL) — 105/142/247
- Jose Manuel Poox Peralta (MEX) — 104/130/234
- Osmel Argote Castillo (CUB) — 100/128/228
Men’s 61KG
- Hampton Miller Morris (USA) — 117/162/279
- Arley Lazaro Calderon Licourt (CUB) — 117/158/275
- Habib De La Salas De La Rosa (COL) — 121/152/273
Men’s 67KG
- Jair Abimelet Reyes Vidal (ECU) — 136/179/315
- Franciso Antonio Mosquera Valencia (COL) — 135/177/312
- Luis David Bardalez Tusima (PER) — 130/169/299
Men’s 73KG
- Julio Cedeno (DOM) — 144/174/318
- Jorge Adan Cardenas Estrada (MEX) — 145/170/315
- Jonathan Antonio Munoz Martinez (MEX) — 140/170/310
Men’s 81KG
- Gustavo Adolfo Maldonado Munoz (COL) — 143/186/329
- Darvin Castro (VEN) — 147/177/324
- Juniel Munoz Martinez (MEX) — 146/170/316
Men’s 89KG
- Brayan Santiago Rodallegas Carvajal (COL) — 172/210/382
- Keydomar Valenilla (VEN) — 171/206/377
- Zacarias Bonnat (DOM) — 165/207/372
Men’s 96KG
- Andres Felipe Serna Martinez (COL) — 162/200/362
- Marco Tulio Gregorio Machado (BRA) — 161/187/348
- Jose Luis Lopez Carpizo (MEX) — 148/190/338
Men’s 102KG
- Jhor Esneider Moreno Torres (COL) — 168/202/370
- Yeimar Mendoza Carabali (COL) — 167/201/368
- Luis Lamenza (PRI) — 160/192/352
Men’s 109KG
- Hernan Moises Viera Espinoza (PER) — 153/209/362
- Jhohan Sanguino (VEN) — 167/194/361
- Juan Columbie Saname (CUB) — 168/192/360
Men’s +109KG
- Raul Enrique Manriquez Collins (MEX) — 171/215/386
- Gilberto Antonio Lemus Calanche (GTM) — 173/202/375
- Alejandro Jose Medina (USA) — 172/202/374
Note: The notation above reads as Athlete Name (Nation) — [snatch]/[clean & jerk]/[Total].
2022 Pan American Championships | Gold Medals by Country
As is expected in the Pan American circuit, the United States and Colombia departed the venue with the highest number of gold medals to their names. Notably, although Team USA won more Women’s gold medals than any other country, Colombia took home the largest number of awards overall — 49 medals altogether, ahead of the 27 earned by the United States.
Colombian males left no doubt regarding which nation is in command, winning 25 medals altogether, 15 of which were gold. All other countries in attendance racked up 15 cumulative Men’s gold medals, proving that Colombia is a force to be reckoned with in the Men’s divisions.
Women’s Gold Medals
- Team USA — 10 gold, 6 silver, 4 bronze
- Team Colombia — 8 gold, 12 silver, 4 bronze
- Team Ecuador — 7 gold, 5 silver, 1 bronze
Men’s Gold Medals
- Team Colombia — 15 gold, 7 silver, 3 bronze
- Team Mexico — 3 gold, 7 silver, 6 bronze
- Team Ecuador — 3 gold, 2 bronze
2022 Pan American Championships | Athlete Highlights
Every weightlifter in attendance at the Pan American Championships, whether they took to the platform or not, is worthy of recognition. That said, the competition in Colombia had several exceptional moments from athletes who displayed remarkable strength, grit, or surprised the crowd in a big way.
Hampton Morris (61KG)
If you’re interested in World-Record-setters, Team USA’s Hampton Morris was the standout athlete at the Pan American Championships. Morris, 18, was the lone performer to clinch a new worldwide record — his 162-kilogram clean & jerk bested his previous best of 161 and amounts to a new Junior World Record in that discipline.
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Naturally, Morris also won his session outright with a 279-kilogram Total, marking his second Senior Pan American win in the 61-kilogram class.
Mattie Rogers (76KG)
With nine podium performances at the Pan American Championships under her belt before her 27th birthday, Mattie Rogers is one of the safest bets for Team USA. Rogers, who won her first Pan Am medal in 2014 (bronze at 63 kilograms), continued her streak with a dominant performance in Colombia.
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Her swan song in the 76-kilogram class (Rogers has indicated she will move up to the 81s as she guns for a slot at the 2024 Paris Olympics) was a four-for-six performance in which she set a new personal best Total internationally of 252 kilograms.
As a testament to her grit on the platform, Rogers wrapped up the 76-kilogram session by following herself for each and every lift she took, indicating that she’s truly in a league of her own in the Pan American region.
Alejandro Medina (+109KG)
Team USA has fresh blood on its roster. Super-heavyweight Floridian Alejandro Medina started his international career off with a bang in Colombia. Medina narrowly edged out teammate and five-time Pan American medalist Caine Wilkes to win bronze overall in the Men’s 109-kilogram category.
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Medina’s performance not only indicates that Team USA made a solid call by adding him to their roster, it’s also about as strong of a start as a weightlifter can ask for when they begin their career outside of their home country.
If Medina can continue to add weight to his barbell, he’s in a good position to become one of the States’ mainstay athletes in the coming years.
Brayan Rodallegas (89KG)
While it is common for weightlifters to move up or down a weight category over the years, it’s quite rare for an athlete to span multiple categories. Colombia’s Brayan Rodallegas isn’t afraid to move to where he has the best odds of grabbing a medal (or two).
Rodallegas has competed internationally across a whopping six different weight classes his since IWF debut in 2013. His latest performance in Bogotá as an 89-kilogram athlete bagged him three new Pan American Records. Although Rodallegas secured his fourth Pan American title, his best result at the World Championships is a bronze medal from 2019.
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However, his performance in Bogotá indicates that Rodallegas may have found a new stomping ground. The 89-kilogram category is expected to be highly contentious leading into the Paris Olympics — Rodallegas will have to contend with the likes of 2022 European Champion Antonino Pizzolato of Italy and Team China‘s 2019 World Champion Tian Tao.
Neisi Dajomes (81KG)
Ecuadorian powerhouse Neisi Dajomes is already looking toward the future. Historically, Dajomes has made a home in one weight class per Olympic quad and stayed put, building on her potential with very regular competitive performances.
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Dajomes made her first international appearance since her stellar gold-medal finish at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics last summer. She came out strong in the 81-kilogram class, where she will likely reside until the next Games in Paris.
Dajomes set a lifetime personal record in the snatch of 120 kilograms en route to winning her category overall by a margin of 11 kilograms.
Angie Palacios (71KG)
It seems that weightlifting prowess runs in the family for Angie Palacios, younger sibling of Neisi Dajomes. Palacios, 21, shares her older sister’s penchant for competition, having competed at 31 IWF events in her career prior to 2022 Pan Ams.
Palacios’s 247-kilogram Total was 10 kilos ahead of the gold medalist from last year’s competition, Meredith Alwine. Further, it also marked Palacios’s first win at a Senior Pan American Championships.
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As the 71-kilogram category is on the docket for the Paris Olympics, it appears that Palacios is moving into position as a strong contender for the podium in the next few years.
Big Lifting in Bogotá
Colombia is the hottest seat in town for competitive weightlifting in 2022. With the 2022 Pan American Championships wrapped up, fans and athletes should expect to book return tickets to Bogotá in just a few short months.
Bogotá will also host the IWF’s World Championships in December of this year, though the organization has yet to publicize exact dates for the competition.
The 2022 World Championships represent the first big qualification benchmark for lifters who wish to make it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. Worlds should also bring to light which athletes are moving to which weight categories — expect a proverbial gold rush to take place in the “new” classes that have been selected by the International Olympic Committee for 2024.
Rest assured, Bogotá hasn’t seen its last World Record in weightlifting this year.
Featured Image: William Johnson / BarbellStories
