With the qualification period for the 2024 Olympic Games beginning in earnest, Team USA may have just gained another prospective Olympian in Paris. On Jun. 29, 2022, 71-kilogram weightlifter Olivia Reeves put together an astonishing performance during the 2022 USA Weightlifting (USAW) National Championships Week.
Reeves, 19, snatched 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds) and clean & jerked a new Senior American Record of 138 kilograms, or 304.2 pounds. Her lifting handily won her the overall title in her session at the Junior National Championships as well by a margin of 45 kilograms in the Total.
A performance like this from a Junior athlete firmly places Reeves in the conversation about who will occupy Team USA’s weightlifting roster in Paris.
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[Related: Weightlifter Mattie Rogers Squats 190 Kilograms for Lifetime Personal Record]
Although Reeves did best Kate Vibert‘s American Record clean & jerk by one kilogram, she tied Vibert in the Total and fell short by two in the snatch (Vibert snatched 112 kilograms, or 246.9 pounds, at the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships).
However, Reeves’ lifting in Las Vegas (where Nationals is being held in 2022) is a significant improvement over her best results as an international competitor. Her 248-kilogram Total would have comfortably won gold at the 2022 Junior and 2021 Senior World Championships, where Reeves competed and took home 2nd and 4th places, respectively.
A Future Olympian?
With plenty of time left as a Junior athlete, Reeves is putting up numbers that hold up against the United States’ most accomplished 71 and 76-kilogram women. As the 71-kilogram class has been confirmed for the Games in Paris, Reeves will likely contend with current World Champion Meredith Alwine and Tokyo silver medalist Vibert to represent the States in that category.
That said, Reeves is giving them both a run for their money with just over two full years before the Games commence. These are Alwine and Vibert’s best competitive Totals at International Weightlifting Federation events:
- Meredith Alwine: 103/135/238, 2020 Pan-American Championships
- Kate Vibert: 111/138/249, 2020 Olympic Games
Note: The notation above refers to the athlete’s best Total at a single competition, in kilograms.
Mattie Rogers, who competed in Tokyo at 87 kilograms, waits in the wings as well. Rogers’ best international Total is 251 kilograms, which she hit at the 2020 Pan-American Championships while weighing 79.81 kilograms.
While she hasn’t publicly spoken about her plans for the next Olympics, Rogers is locked in at 76 kilograms for the 2022 National Championships with an entry Total of 250 kilograms.
USAW’s National Championships Week runs from June 25 to July 3, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosts Youth, Junior, and Senior athletes. The road to Paris may be long, but Reeves’ stellar performance in Vegas proves that she might have what it takes to go the distance.
Featured Image: @barbellstories on Instagram
