American weightlifter Kate Nye has won a silver medal in the Women’s 76-Kilogram category at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. She is the first American to score a medal in weightlifting at the 2020 Olympics and the first American woman in history to bring home an Olympic silver medal in weightlifting. This win also marks the best result by a U.S. weightlifter in 21 years. What’s more, it is the U.S.’ first Olympic medal in the women’s light heavyweight weight class.
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Nye, who is from Oakland Township, MI, is 22 years old and trains at Power & Grace Performance under Spencer Arnold. This is her first appearance in an Olympic Games. Neisi Dajomes won gold — becoming the first woman to win a medal for Ecuador — and Aremi Fuentes of Mexico won the bronze medal. Nye also set two American Records in the snatch and total. Here are the full results from the Women’s 76-Kilogram session.
Women’s 76-Kilogram Results
- Neisi Patricia Dajomes Barrera (Ecuador) — 263 (118/145) (Gold)
- Katherine Elizabeth Nye (United States) — 249 (111/138) (Silver)
- Aremi Fuentes Zavala (Mexico) — 245 (108/137) (Bronze)
- Patricia Strenius (Sweden) — 235 (102/133)
- Darya Naumava (Belarus) — 234 (103/131)
- Kumushkhon Fayzullaeva (Uzbekistan) — 227 (101/126)
- Emily Muskett (Great Britain) — 222 (98/124)
- Kristel Ngarlem (Canada) — 218 (95/123)
- Mahassen Hala Fattouh (Lebanon) — 217 (93/124)
- Nancy Genzel Abouke (Nauru) — 203 (90/113)
- Jean Gaelle Eyenga Mboosi (Cameroon) — 202 (91/111)
- Iryna Dekha (Ukraine) — X (113/X) Did Not Finish
- Kim Suhyeon (South Korea) — X (106/X) Did Not Finish
Note: the above stats are structured as — Total (Snatch/Clean & Jerk)
Nye’s Career
Kate Nye has been a force on the American weightlifting scene for some time. She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Youth National Championships and has since then steadily improved as a Youth, Junior, and Senior both at the National and International levels.
[Related: Katherine Nye Named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30]
She currently owns the American Record snatch, clean & jerk, and total in the Women’s Senior 71-kilogram division and the 71 and 76-kilogram Junior American Records in both lifts and the total. Nye’s 111-kilogram snatch is also a new American Junior and Senior Record at 76 kilograms; the previous record was 108 kilograms. Nye nearly had a successful 114-kilogram snatch during her third attempt. The referees initially ruled it good, but the jury then overturned it for letting go of the weight while it was still above her shoulders.
Nye’s total of 249 kilograms is also a new American Record. The previous record of 245 kilograms was held by 2016 Olympian Jenny Arthur, set in 2018.
Nye’s 71KG Junior & Senior American Records
- Snatch — 112 kilograms
- Clean & Jerk — 137 kilograms
- Total — 248 kilograms
Note: All the lifts above stand as both Junior and Senior records.
Nye’s 76KG Junior American Records
- Snatch — 111 kilograms
- Clean & Jerk — 135 kilograms
- Total — 249 kilograms
Nye’s 76KG Senior American Records
- Snatch — 111 kilograms
- Total — 249 kilograms
Nye is a five-time international medalist in the total, with three gold medals (2019 Pan American Championships, 2019 Junior World Weightlifting Championships, 2019 Senior World Weightlifting Championships) in the total, alongside one silver (2018 Junior World Weightlifting Championships) and one bronze (2019 Pan American Games).
Editor’s note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. Unless otherwise specified on certain content, the two organizations maintain editorial independence.
Featured Image: Stephen Galvan for the IWF