Paris, France, August 7, 2024: China made an ominous start to the weightlifting competition at South Paris Arena 6 on Wednesday with a gold medal for Li Fabin – and an Olympic record.
Li, the defending Olympic champion in the men’s 61kg division, lifted 143kg on his third snatch attempt for an Olympic record.
With 167kg in clean and jerk, Li posted a total of 310kg – seven more than silver medallist Theerapong Silachai (132-171-303).
Morris Hampton (USA) won the bronze with 126-172-298 – just 1kg more than Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq Bin Kasdan in fourth on 297kg (130-167).
Three-time world champion Li, 31, said: "I really enjoyed it and observed the live atmosphere. Our friends from China came to cheer us on, and the atmosphere was electrifying. I felt a surge of energy from it.”
When asked if he would attempt a golden hat trick at Los Angeles 2028, he replied: “I’m getting older and older, so this might be the last time I compete.
“But I’m still looking forward to maybe the next time. I would like to have one more gold medal for my country. I don’t have any concrete idea right now. I just want to enjoy the moment when I won the gold medal today.
“The weightlifters from outside China are improving a lot. Maybe one day they could be on a par or even better than me.”
Eko Irawan of Indonesia, a veteran of the sport and four-time Olympic medalist, suffered an injury during his final clean and jerk attempt. Aged 35, Irawan was the oldest competitor in the category and his injury forced him to withdraw, preventing him from adding to his impressive tally of Olympic medals.
Li himself was moved by Irawan's performance. "Watching Irawan lift made me feel quite emotional. It’s touching to see someone at such an age still competing fiercely in sports.
“I relate to this spirit deeply because I have also been contemplating whether to retire. Seeing everyone fighting for this sports spirit makes me think that maybe I can continue a bit longer," he added.