“This is the best weightlifting team that the United States has sent to the Olympics in modern times,” said senior international coach Wil Fleming on Reddit in June. Not only is he correct — Team USA is going to be a powerhouse at the 2024 Olympics — but that strength is buoyed in large part by 102-kilogram athlete Wes Kitts.
This is hardly Kitts’ first rodeo. Regarding the Games, it’s his second go-round after competing for the States in Tokyo three years prior. Kitts is back in the mix for Paris 2024, which runs from Jul. 26 to Aug. 11, and will represent Team USA in the Men’s heavyweight event.
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Let’s take a look at Kitts’ competition history and map out his pathway from Tokyo to Paris.
How Wes Kitts Made It to the 2024 Olympics
Fleming continued on Reddit, saying, “[Kitts] is ranked 12th in the world but on a good day he’s a top-five lifter.” High praise, but it’s hardly misplaced: Kitts has carried the stars and stripes for Team USA in Men’s heavyweight Olympic lifting for nearly a decade.
The International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) kicked off their qualification period for Paris in 2022. Over the course of four competitions, Kitts campaigned for Olympic team selection and, at the 11th hour, got his foot in the door:
Editor’s Note: The formatting below reads as, “Total (Snatch / Clean & Jerk)” in kilograms.
- 2022 World Weightlifting Championships: 379 (170/209)
- 2023 Pan American Championships: 365 (165/200) | 1st Place at 109 Kilograms
- IWF Grand Prix I: 388 (177/211) | 2nd Place
- 2023 World Weightlifting Championships: 370 (170/200)
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A Winding Way: Kitts weighed in but did not lift at the 2024 IWF World Cup intentionally. It was a risky play, but as the Paris qualification procedure wound down, it became clear that Kitts would not be able to crack into the top 10 102-kilogram athletes in the world.
However, the International Olympic Committee provides Continental slots; region-based Olympic eligibility to ensure that each event in each sport contains athletes from all over the world. When the qualification period closed, Kitts was the highest-ranked male 102-kilogram in the world from the Pan American region and was awarded a Paris ticket despite not making it into the top 10.
Kitts will face stiff competition at the Olympics this summer in the 102-kilogram event. However, he’s got the tenure and heaps of raw strength to back him up. You can find Kitts on the weightlifting platform during the Men’s 102-kilogram event at the 2024 Olympics on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 5:30 a.m. Eastern Standard Time.
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Featured Image: USA Weightlifting
