It has been a week of personal records for Team USA weightlifter Kate Nye. But given how successful her year has been, we can’t say we’re surprised that her strength is continuing to increase.
Nye competes as a -71kg athlete and just this year has been crowned both Pan American Champion and Junior World Champion. Both of these accomplishments came after Nye moved up a weight class (-69kg to -71kg) after the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) introduced new weight classes in 2018.
Nye looks seriously strong at -71kg, and the next time we get to see her take the platform will be at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru later this month. The Pan Am Games run from July 26th through August 11th.
She has turned up her training this week in preparation, and showed off on her Instagram page a new jerk PR of 145kg/319lb. She wrote on her Instagram,
145kg/319lb for a big jerk PR. Must be from all the tips I’ve been getting from the jerk queen Alyssa Ritchey.
Earlier this week Nye also PRd with a squat of 182kg/400lb, and a five rep max of deadlifts at 160kg/352lb.
What makes this jerk PR really exciting is that it’s much heavier than her competition max clean & jerk. At the Junior World Championships this May, she clean & jerked 137 kg for Gold. Her clean & jerk and her total of 246kg was enough to set Junior and Senior Pan American Records and Junior and Senior American records.
[Check out the 10 Undeniable Benefits of the Clean & Jerk]
Nye gave her USA weightlifting teammate Alyssa Ritchey a shoutout on her Instagram post, crediting her with all the tips for the clean & jerk. Ritchey competes as a -49kg athlete and earlier this year at the Pan American Championships she set a new Senior American record herself with her 107 kg clean and jerk.
We’re excited to see Nye take the platform later this month and hopefully top her competition best.
Featured image from @katherineenye Instagram page.