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First Gold Medal in 23 years for the USA as ROBLES claims victory

Bronze Medallist at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and reigning Pan-American champion ROBLES Sarah Elizabeth (USA) was the only lifter in the Women’s +90kg bodyweight category to end with three good lifts in the Snatch. She took her first Gold with 126kg.

She was followed by HUBBARD Laurel (NZL) who missed her last lift at 127kg. With 119kg – 5kg behind HUBBARD, FISU World Champion and Pan-American Bronze Medallist MASCORRO OSUNA Tania Guadalupe (MEX) came up third.

ROBLES started at 150kg for her first Clean and Jerk attempt and started her ascension to win all three Gold Medals. She ended 23 years of USA World Champion drought. She was flawless in her perfect 6-for-6 session, sweeping the podium with Gold medals in the Snatch, Clean & Jerk and Total.

The last time an American woman won a World Championships was in 1994, when GOAD (BYRD) Robin won the Women’s 53kg bodyweight category in Istanbul.

“I just went out there and made my lifts,” Robles told USA Weightlifting.org. “I felt really strong and I was so happy to do this in front of my mom, my teammates and my country.”

“The heaver the weights got, the easier the lifts looked,” Sarah’s personal coach, Tim Swords said about Robles’ performance. “She’s fast enough, she’s mobile enough and she’s strong enough. Those things added up to a world championship tonight.”

“Sarah has this unmistakable fierceness. Sarah has this look on her face that looks like she’s going to tear the barbell in half,” Team USA National Coach Mike Gattone said. “She made the weights and she made America proud.”

With three good lifts in the Clean and Jerk, HUBBARD Laurel (NZL) ended 4th, but managed to grab the second place on the podium and won Silver for her Total of 275kg.

4th place in the Snatch with 115kg and two missed attempts, HARIDY Shaimaa Ahmed Khalaf (EGY) came up second in the Clean and Jerk and won the Bronze in the Total.