Olympics: Li Wenwen secures fifth weightlifting gold for China
China’s Li Wenwen clinched gold in the women’s heavyweight weightlifting competition at the Paris Olympics on Sunday, delivering a commanding performance that earned her country its fifth gold medal in the sport at these Games. Li, who weighs 150 kg and also won gold in the same category at the Tokyo Olympics, dominated the event for women weighing over 81 kilograms.
Li was so far ahead of her competitors that she opted to pass on her final attempts in both the snatch and clean and jerk, having already secured victory. In a joyous celebration, she hoisted her coach in the air instead of the barbell after her final lift, marking the end of the Olympic weightlifting competition in Paris.
The 24-year-old finished with a total lift of 309 kg, outlifting her closest competitor, South Korea’s Park Hye-jeong, by 10 kg. Tokyo silver medallist Emily Campbell of Great Britain secured bronze, finishing 11 kg behind Park.
Li’s dominant performance further solidified her status as one of the premier weightlifters in the world, adding another gold to China’s impressive Olympic tally.
