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CHN Sweeps Gold on Final Day of Women’s Weightlifting at Tokyo 2020

CHN swept gold Monday as the women’s weightlifting competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 came to a close in spectacular fashion.

In the +87kg category, LI Wenwen (CHN) took home Olympic Records in snatch (140kg), clean & jerk (180kg) and total (320kg. It was China’s seventh gold medal in weightlifting at these Olympic Games, equalling the record by an NOC: seven by the Soviet Union in 1976. China has now won five of the six gold medals in the women’s super heavyweight category at the Olympic Games.

“I would like to thank my country. Without my country I cannot make such great achievements,” LI said. 

CAMPBELL Emily Jade claimed GBR’s first ever medal in women’s weightlifting, a silver. She made her last clean & jerk of 161kg to take second place overall with a 283kg total.

“I said to myself, ‘I’ve just got to believe in myself. It’s not going to be easy. It’s going be a hard fight, but I do believe that I could potentially win a medal.’ Weightlifting is unpredictable, you could be in the best shape of your life and somebody else is even better shape,” CAMPBELL said.

CAMPBELL’s silver is GBR’s first Olympic weightlifting medal since the Olympic Games 1984 Los Angeles.

ROBLES Sarah Elizabeth etched herself into Olympic history, becoming the only woman from the USA to win two Olympic weightlifting medals. Her 282kg total gave her bronze, following a bronze medal in the Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro 2016.

““I show up every day to the gym, worked out (and) got in shape. Then I got invited to come here with the competition. Obviously with Covid we had some interesting changes with competition dates and procedures, there was a lot of uncertainty,” ROBLES said.

In the women’s 87kg A session, WANG Zhouyu claimed CHN’s 6th weightlifting gold medal of the Tokyo Games with a 270kg total.

“”In our team for weightlifting, when we go abroad for any competition, we want to first display China’s strengths. Chinese athletes, each of them, are here for the gold medal. I thank my opponents because it’s together we can improve and progress,” WANG said.

ECU’s SALAZAR ARCE Tamara Yajaira set new Pan American Continental records in clean & jerk (150kg) and total (263kg) as she went on to win silver. 

“”I’m so happy with this silver medal, it is a result of years and years of sacrifice and a lot of effort. I’m happy beyond belief, I actually went beyond my objectives. I worked so hard to be able to be as close as possible to my other counterparts,” SALAZAR ARCE said.

SANTANA PEGUERO Crismery Dominga of DOM claimed bronze with a 256kg total, her nation’s second weightlifting medal of the Tokyo 2020 Games, and the first by a woman in an individual event.

“I feel very proud of being able to represent a small island like my country and to win a medal in an Olympic event. I’m also very grateful towards my family. We’ve been working very hard. I’m a perfectionist,” SANTANA PEGUERO said.

Earlier in the day’s combined women’s 87kg / +87kg B session, VALENTIN PEREZ Lidia lifted in her fourth Olympic Games. The 2012 Olympic Champion, 2008 Olympic silver medalist and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist posted a 225kg total. She snatched a best 103kg and made her opening 122kg clean & jerk before skipping her remaining attempts. 

The penultimate weightlifting competition of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 happens Tuesday as medals in the men’s 109kg bodyweight category will be up for grabs. Lifting begins at the Tokyo International Forum at 1:50PM with the 109kg B session followed by the 109kg A session at 7:50PM.