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UZB Claims Gold in 109kg Nailbiter

Tuesday night DJURAEV Akbar became Uzbekistan’s second man ever to win Olympic Weightlifting gold after taking the top spot on the podium in the 109kg category at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.  Putting up an Olympic Record clean & jerk of 237kg on his final attempt, his 430kg total gave him another Olympic Record and the title Olympic Champion. “I didn’t think I could get these records and this medal, so I'm very confused right now. It's not only my medal, it is Uzbekistan’s medal, and I’m giving it for the 30-year anniversary of Uzbekistan’s declaration of independence,” DJURAEV said. DJURAEV follows fellow Uzbeki athlete NURUDINOV Ruslan as their nation’s only gold medalists in Olympic Weightlifting. NURUDINOV claimed gold in the men's 105kg at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro. Despite taking a 2kg lead into the clean & jerks following his Olympic Record snatch of 195kg, MARTIROSYAN Simon of Armenia had to settle for the silver medal. He took two attempts at 238kg to try and win gold, but ultimately came up short. PLESNIEKS Arturs of Latvia is his nation's second athlete to ever medal in Weightlifting at an Olympic Games. His 410kg total earned him the bronze medal. “This medal means 20 years of effort. I have many medals from juniors, from world competitions but this is my first medal from the Olympics, and I’m very happy to have it,” PLESNIEKS said. Fellow countryman SCERBATIS Viktors claimed two medals in the men's +105kg event, silver at the 2004 Games in Athens and bronze at the 2008 games in Beijing.  Wednesday marks the final day of Weightlifting at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Lifting begins at 1:50PM with the men’s +109kg B session. In the final session of the Games, the men’s +109kg A group, TALAKHADZE Lasha of Georgia looks to improve on his World Records and win a gold medal in his second consecutive Olympic Games. The final session lifts off at 7:50PM

COFFA Reflects on Attending Two Tokyo Games

Fifty-seven years ago this October 11, Sam COFFA, then 28, stepped onto the stage at Shibuya Public Hall, and lifted for Australia in the men’s 56kg category at the Olympic Games Tokyo 1964. COFFA, now 85, is back in Tokyo for the Olympic Games serving the sport on the other side of the platform as Technical Delegate for the Weightlifting competition at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. “There is a bit of nostalgia about it,” COFFA said. “At the very beginning of the competition. My mind wandered a little bit. I shut my eyes and thought, ‘my God I was on the other side.’ I was so happy and proud to represent my country [Australia.]”  Technical Delegates are appointed to ensure competitions are carried out per the rules of the sport. They also assist in managing the competition with organizers. For COFFA, a longtime sport administrator following his athlete career, the role of Technical Delegate was a natural fit. In the 57 years since he’s competed, COFFA has seen a change in the sport world. At these Games, in his role, COFFA is celebrating a rebirth of sorts, for Weightlifting and the Olympic Movement as a whole.” “You can see medals being won by countries that have never won medals,” COFFA said. “Things have changed for the better."  As far as how Japan has changed since he attend the Games in 1964, COFFA said there was no comparison. Because of health and safety protocols, COFFA and all Olympic participants, are not allowed outside of the safety bubble-- something that was not an issue at the first Tokyo Games. But there have been some constants in his two experiences.  “The people of Japan are very, very kind,” COFFA said. “The Olympic Games is the Olympic

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

ECU Claims Gold as Pan America Sweeps Women’s 76kg

Athletes from Pan America swept the podium Sunday in the women’s 76kg bodyweight competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.  Gold medalist and Olympic Champion DAJOMES BARRERA Neisi Patricia became ECU’s first woman to ever win gold.   "I feel really happy and really proud," DAJOMES BARRERA said of her 263kg total, a new Pan American record. “In snatch I had lifted the weight (before); in clean & jerk it was the first time I have lifted 145kg. The training regimen has given me the strength to be comfortable in all my competitions, and that's what you can see." She’s the third athlete from ECU to win a medal at the Olympic Games after PEREZ Jefferson won two medals in the race walk (gold in 1996 and silver in 2008) and CARAPAZ Richard won the men's cycling road race at Tokyo 2020. DAJOMES BARRERA celebrated her family on the platform with “mama & hermano”, mother & brother, written on her palm.  2019 IWF World Champion Nye KATHERINE ELIZABETH landed the silver medal-- her nation’s first silver in women’s weightlifting at the Olympic Games. "It feels surreal, I feel like I've had such a whirlwind,” NYE said. “I started lifting in 2016, so the fact that I'm here in 2021 with a medal around my neck is just unreal.” NYE looked strong with a 249kg total. Her third snatch, a 114kg total, was initially ruled a good lift, but was later overturned by the jury for dropping the barbell above the shoulders. That didn’t shake NYE’s confidence heading into the clean & jerk.  "That was one of the best lifts I've ever done in my life, especially at that weight,” NYE said. “But when it comes down to it, I broke the rules. I saw it and I was like, 'Oh shoot'. It's something you don't think about very often, especially in a highly emotional moment like that. It's a disappointment, but they were right and all I can do is learn from it, and that's what I plan on doing." MEX claimed Mexico its fourth Olympic medal in weightlifting and its first since 2012, with FUENTES ZAVALA Aremi’s bronze medal-winning performance.  “I put a lot of effort into getting to this moment - in this moment I believed the most in myself.” FUENTES ZAVALA said. “It means a lot to me and my family, and obviously also for my country it means a lot." FUENTES ZAVALA put up her 245kg total early in the clean & jerk competition and had to watch other athletes try to take her spot on the podium.  "Of course the nerves are always there, but I have worked very hard on the psychological aspect of the sport to inhibit this nervousness and everything that comes with it. I believe in my own work while doing my sport, and not being influenced by the results of the other athletes,” FUENTES ZAVALA said.  The women’s weightlifting competition at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 concludes Monday with the 87kg and +87kg bodyweight categories decided. A combined 87kg/+87kg B session gets underway at the Tokyo International Forum at 11:50AM Japan time, followed by the 87kg A session at 3:50PM and the +87kg A session at

TCHATCHET Delivers Message of Hope at Olympic Games

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, TCHATCHET II Cyrille, then 18 years old, slipped away from Team Cameroon’s housing in search of a better life. Seven years later, TCHATCHET, lifted on the world’s greatest stage Saturday as a member of the Refugee Olympic Team (EOT).  “It didn’t go as planned. But I am happy with the result. Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but you still have to celebrate our achievement, no matter how small or minor they are,” TCHATCHET said about his 10th place finish in the men’s 96kg category at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Living on the streets of Scotland, TCHATCHET called a suicide hotline. Police arrived and took him into custody while he applied for asylum. But through the darkness, TCHATCHET found one thing that kept him going; weightlifting. “I have not been able to stop weightlifting even when I was at my lowest moments,” TCHATCHET said. “Weightlifting is a bit addictive. I don’t think I can actually stop weightlifting until I am physically unable to do it.” Once granted asylum, TCHATCHET attended Middlesex University, where he met his coach.  “We’ve made a lot of good progress. I have had a lot of support in refining my technique. I have had a lot of support there,” TCHATCHET said. While TCHATCHET’s 350kg total may not have totally satisfied himself as an athlete, his performance Saturday at the Olympic Games should inspire millions around the world facing conflict and uncertainty.  “I have a message of hope. You shouldn’t give up life,” TCHATCHET said. “Life is like a roller coaster. You go through ups and downs. You have to keep working and keep

ELBAKH Shines as QAT Claims First-Ever Gold; CHN Picks Up Fifth Gold with LYU

ELBAKH Fares Ibrahim exploded with emotion Saturday night after making his opening 217kg clean and jerk. With that lift, he etched himself into Olympic history, winning his nation, QAT, its first ever Olympic gold medal in any sport.  “I am literally speechless about that. I hope that they are proud of me. I promise this is not the end, we still have more and more coming soon. We will do our best to make it even better,” ELBAKH said. He went on to lift a 225kg clean & jerk on his second attempt, for an Olympic Record in the lift and in total with 402kg. Loaders put 232kg on the bar, which would have been a new world record, but ELBAKH didn’t make it and would have to settle on owning the Olympic Record instead. “We worked more on the clean & jerk. We were confident about it. We had great competitors so we had to go hard for it and make sure we win,” ELBAKH said. VALLENILLA SANCHEZ Keydomar (VEN) took home silver with a 287kg total.  “I am very emotional. I thank God. I appreciate my family, my mother, my father and the Venezuelan federation. I got the silver medal and I’m very happy,” VALLENILLA SANCHEZ said. It’s the first time since the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984 since Venezuela picked up multiple Olympic medals in a single sport at the same Games. VALLENILLA SANCHEZ’s silver follows MAYORA PERNIA Julio Ruben’s silver medal in the men’s 73kg category. PLIESNOI Anton, worked through an obvious leg injury, to clean & jerk 210kg on this third attempt, securing the bronze medal also with a 287kg total.  “I couldn’t imagine how I would be able to lift. I turned off my pain emotions and turned on my other emotions. I did my best,” PLIESNOI said. While VALLENILLA SANCHEZ and PLIESNOI had identical totals, the silver medal went to VEN since the athlete reached that total first in competition. CHN’s dominance in the men’s weightlifting competition at these Games continued in the men’s 81kg bodyweight category. LYU Xiaojun (CHN) swept the Olympic records with a 170kg snatch, 204kg clean & jerk and 374kg total, to claim Olympic gold, his nation’s 5th of the Tokyo 2020 Games. "Weightlifting is my lifetime career. My family is part of my life, and weightlifting is another part of my life. I really loved this weightlifting competition, and weightlifting itself. I think it is a beautiful art, that's maybe why I can take part for such a long time,” LYU said.  LYU turned 37 years old three days ago.  “Perhaps I can continue until I am 40,” LYU said. “I really enjoy having this opportunity to compete and work with the young athletes on the stage. I would like to thank my fans for believing in me and for the support." In an exciting back-and-forth clean & jerk competition, several athletes were vying for spots on the podium.  ONNAT MICHEL Zacarias (DOM) secured the silver with a 367kg, his nation’s first Weightlifting medal.  "I feel like I'm in a dream. It's historical for my country,” ONNAT MICHEL said. “It's the eighth Olympic medal in the history of the country, so I feel overwhelmed." PIZZOLATO Antonino secured ITA’s third weightlifting medal of these Games with a 365kg total.  "What's happening is that we started believing in it. We have a great team and we're not afraid of others,” PIZZOLATO said. After securing bronze with his second clean & jerk attempt, PIZZOLATO tried a 210kg clean & jerk which would have set a new World Record. "Obviously I was disappointed, but that feeling was replaced almost immediately with a feeling of joy for having won the medal. Any athlete would have wanted a different medal, but nevertheless I'm very happy that I got the bronze. This is something that will ignite me to try even harder,” PIZZOLATO said. Earlier in the day’s combined men’s combined 81kg and 96kg B session, TCHATCHET II Cyrille took the platform representing the Refugee Olympic Team (EOR). He placed 10th overall with a 350kg. “It didn’t go as planned. But I am happy with the result,” TCHATCHET said. “Sometimes things don’t go as planned, but you still have to celebrate our achievement, no matter how small or minor they are. So I am happy with my