It’s been over a decade, but a weightlifter from the United States is back on the podium at the IWF World Championships.
On Saturday, 77kg weightlifter Harrison Maurus broke USA Weightlifting’s World Championships medal drought with a 4-for-5 performance that secured him bronze in the clean & jerk and total. Maurus made 150kg and 155kg on his first two snatch attempts, then narrowly missed a new American Record attempt at 159kg.
Maurus — known for his clean & jerk proficiency — opened with 187kg in the clean & jerk and followed that up with a successful lift at 193kg, setting a new Youth World Record in the lift along with new Senior, Junior, and Youth American marks.
Check out his record-breaking clean & jerk below.
After the lift, Maurus had a noticeable limp leaving the stage, with some on social media suggesting he was suffering from a quad cramp. He passed on his third attempt, but his second clean & jerk was enough to secure bronze in the clean & jerk and total (348kg). It’s the first time an American man has stood on the World Championships podium since Wes Barnett won a bronze medal in 1997.
Rio Olympic bronze medalist Mohamed Ihab Youssef Ahmed Mahmoud (Egypt) won gold across the board with a 165kg snatch, 196kg clean & jerk, and 361kg total. Rejepbay Rejepov of Uzbekistan placed second overall with a 352kg total.
Featured image: USA Weightlifting on Facebook
