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“I’m Excited for Another World Record”: Meet 2024 Olympian Hampton Morris

Morris is Team USA’s best hope for a Men’s weightlifting Olympic medal this year.

Written by Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2
Last updated on July 2nd, 2024

Hampton Morris is heading to the 2024 Olympics in a unique position. Morris made modern history for the States once already this year when he set a clean & jerk Senior world record in April — a first for any American male in over half a century.

He’s heading to the Paris Olympics, which run from Jul. 26 to Aug. 11, to represent the States at the biggest weightlifting meet in the world at just 20 years old. And Morris likes his chances almost as much as we do.

Hampton Morris 1
Morris laughs with his coach and father Tripp during an at-home workout.

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BarBend caught up with Morris to pick his brain on how he’s feeling ahead of the biggest Olympic weightlifting event of his life — and if his record-setting strength can get him onto the podium in Paris.

Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.

BarBend: Earlier this year you broke a 50-year record drought for the United States at the IWF World Cup. How did it feel to put Team USA back into the Senior men’s record book?

  • Hampton Morris: “It felt really good. I feel like I’d been working in that direction for a long time and I’m excited for what I’ll be able to do next.”

BB: You have one of the largest discrepancies between your snatch and clean & jerk numbers of any 61-kilogram athlete. How are you training to close that gap and shore up weaknesses before Paris?

  • HM: “I definitely have the strength to snatch as much as my competitors — I think a lot of it comes down to how long I’ve been competing, and a lot of it is developmental as well. Right now we’re working on using my legs more and being more explosive.” 

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BB: As a first-time Olympian, what are you looking forward to the most in Paris?

  • HM: “I’m so excited to compete, but besides that, I’m really looking forward to supporting my teammates, both in weightlifting and other sports.”

BB: What does a successful competition look like in your mind at the 2024 Olympics?

  • HM: “My first goal at any competition is to post a Total. I think I’d be happiest if I had a six-for-six day.”

How Hampton Morris Made It to the 2024 Olympics

Morris is known for his long, high-volume weightlifting workouts — a reputation he’s lived up to on the competition stage as well. Over the course of seven international competitions throughout the Paris 2024 qualification period, Morris has raised his Total from 275 kilograms to a world-number-two 303 kilograms.

Editor’s Note: The formatting below reads as, “Total (Snatch / Clean & Jerk)” in kilograms.

Morris’ 303-kilogram Total at the 2023 Junior World Weightlifting Championships did not contribute toward his Paris qualification because he competed in the heavier 67-kilogram division, which will not be showcased at this year’s Olympics.

Hampton Morris 3
Morris’ various weightlifting medals on display in his home gym.

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Standing a head above his strength progression, though, is the fact that Morris placed a humble 15th at the 2022 World Weightlifting Championships — his first Senior world-level competition.

Flash forward to this spring, and Morris has placed no worse than fifth at any international weightlifting meet, save for an uncharacteristic bomb-out at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships.

Morris may have momentum on his side, but he’ll face extremely stiff competition in the Men’s 61-kilogram category. Excluding presumptive gold medalist Li Fabin of China, the remaining top six athletes’ (including Morris) qualifying Totals are separated by five kilograms or less.

Claiming a podium slot is truly anyone’s game, but Morris has his game face on. You’ll find “Hamp the Champ” on the Paris Olympics’ weightlifting stage on Wednesday, Aug. 7 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.

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Featured Image: USA Weightlifting

About Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2

Jake is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Wilmington with a B.S. in Exercise Science. He began his career as a weightlifting coach before transitioning into sports media to pursue his interest in journalism.

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BarBend

BarBend is an independent website. The views expressed on this site may come from individual contributors and do not necessarily reflect the view of BarBend or any other organization. BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting.