Olivia Reeves Clinches First US Olympic Weightlifting Gold in 24 Years at Paris 2024

On August 9, 2024, Olivia Reeves made history by winning the first Olympic gold medal in weightlifting for the United States in 24 years at the Paris Olympics. Competing in the women's 71kg division, Reyes lifted a total of 262kg, beating Mari Leivis Sanchez from Colombia by five kilograms. Ecuador's Angie Dajomes secured the bronze medal.

Olivia Reeves wins gold

Representing Hixson, Tennessee, Reeves appeared composed during the event, although she later admitted to feeling nervous. "I wanted to treat the Olympics as just another event, and I got more nervous than all the others," she confessed. During the medal ceremony, as the U.S. national anthem played, she wiped away tears and took deep breaths, acknowledging the significance of her accomplishment.

Reeves' strategic approach involved choosing higher starting weights than her competitors and successfully completing her first five lifts. Her only unsuccessful attempt came when she tried a 150kg clean-and-jerk lift with the gold medal already secured. This win marked a momentous occasion for the U.S., as it had not clinched a weightlifting Olympic gold medal since 2000, when Tara Nott won the lightest women's division in Sydney.

Reeves expressed her hope that her achievement would serve as an inspiration for young girls aspiring to enter the world of weightlifting. She reflected on the significance of representing the sport and expressed pride in playing that role. Her gold medal added to the U.S.'s historic bronze medal win by Hampton Morris earlier in the week, the first Olympic medal of any kind for a U.S. men's weightlifter since the 1984 Los Angeles Games.

A New Era in Weightlifting

Karlos Nasar of Bulgaria also made waves at the Olympics, winning gold in weightlifting and breaking two world records. Remarkably, he achieved this feat just over a year after a severe injury when a hotel sink fell on him, resulting in the severing of his left Achilles tendon. Despite the challenges, Nasar demonstrated unparalleled determination, stating, "I believed, and I imagined in my mind to come here after the accident and to win the Olympic title."

The U.S. last won an Olympic gold medal in weightlifting in Sydney in 2000, marking the first time women's weightlifting was included in the Olympic program. This year's victories by Reeves and Morris herald a new era for U.S. weightlifting, reigniting interest and inspiring the next generation of athletes.