Team USA’s women made strong attempts for the top of the podium at the 2023 International Weightlifting Federation’s (IWF) Grand Prix II in Doha, Qatar. Leading the charge was 20-year-old Olivia Reeves, who set three new Junior world records in the span of about an hour on Dec. 10, 2023.
Reeves’ first record came in the snatch when she lifted 115 kilograms, or 253.5 pounds. She also hit a 147-kilogram (324.8-pound) clean & jerk, and Totaled a massive 262 kilograms — earning bronze overall and cementing one of the strongest performances for an American woman on the international stage this year.
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To put the enormity of this performance into context, USA Weightlifting confirmed to BarBend via e-mail that Reeves’ 147-kilogram jerk is the heaviest clean & jerk in U.S. weightlifting history by any non-superheavyweight female. Here’s a full breakdown of Reeves’ performance at the Prix, which runs in Doha from Dec. 4 to 14:
Olivia Reeves | 2023 IWF Grand Prix II
- Snatch: 115 kilograms | Junior World Record
- Clean & Jerk: 147 kilograms | Junior World Record
- Total: 262 kilograms | Junior World Record
Fighting for Paris
Reeves is the youngest of a trio of American female weightlifters currently campaigning for the hotly-contested Olympic slots ahead of the 2024 Games in Paris, France. The United States may send only one weightlifter per weight class to next year’s Olympics, and Reeves, 2021 World Champion Meredith Alwine, and Tokyo 2020 silver medalist Kate Vibert-Davis are all striving to make a case for themselves in the eyes of USA Weightlifting.
At the onset of the Prix in Doha, Reeves and Vibert-Davis were neck-and-neck in the rankings, sitting at 4th and 5th, respectively, on the IWF’s official qualification leaderboards, the primary metric determining eligibility for the 2024 Games. But after Reeves’ stunning performance in the 71-kilogram Group A session, she’s widened the gap and made it much more difficult for both Vibert-Davis and Alwine to overtake her.
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The 2024 Olympics are less than a year away, and the clock is ticking down. With multiple new Junior world records to her name and new 1-rep maxes as well, Reeves is entering 2024 in a commanding position.
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Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise specified.
Featured Image: International Weightlifting Federation
