Gold medalist Rizki Juniansyah (C) of Indonesia, silver medalist Weeraphon Wichuma (L) of Thailand and bronze medalist Bozhidar Dimitrov Andreev of Bulgaria pose during the victory ceremony for the weightlifting men's 73kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
PARIS, Aug. 8 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Rizki Juniansyah claimed the gold medal in the weightlifting men's 73kg division, while Luo Shifang of China won the women's 59kg title at the Paris Olympics on Thursday.
Juniansyah lifted 155kg in the snatch before setting a new Olympic record of 199kg in the clean and jerk, achieving a winning total of 354kg.
This was the 21-year-old weightlifter's Olympic debut, and he remains the world record holder for the total. Earlier this year at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, he lifted a total of 365kg.
Two-time Olympic champion Shi Zhiyong of China took first place in the snatch with 165kg, but he failed all three attempts at 191kg in the clean and jerk.
"My training had been going really well, and my goal was to lift 195kg in the clean and jerk, which would have basically secured the gold medal. However, during the competition, something went wrong, and my emotions got a bit anxious," said Shi.
The weightlifting icon revealed that he has been struggling with injuries and now hopes to give himself a break.
"I've been training for 21 years, and now I just want to take some time to spend with my family," Shi added.
Thailand's Weeraphon Wichuma took the silver medal with a total of 346, followed by Bozhidar Dimitrov Andreev of Bulgaria with 344kg.
Also on Thursday, Luo, who is making her Olympic debut in Paris, lifted 107kg in the snatch and 134kg in the clean and jerk to go with a winning total of 241kg, setting three new Olympic records.
Except for giving up the last lift in the clean and jerk after securing the title, the 23-year-old successfully lifted every attempt.
"This is my first Olympic Games and my team has been very good to me. They provided me with a really good environment, and I didn't feel too much pressure," said Luo.
"My goal was to compete for the gold medal, so I didn't think too much about the record," added the world record holder for total.
It marks the third gold medal for China's weightlifting team at Paris 2024, following Li Fabin in the men's 61kg division and Hou Zhihui in the women's 49kg.
Canada's Maude Charron bagged the silver medal with 236kg, and Tokyo 2020 champion Kuo Hsing-Chun of Chinese Taipei took bronze with 235kg.
The Olympic weightlifting event, which includes 120 athletes, runs from August 7 to 11 at the South Paris Arena. ■
Gold medalist Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia poses during the victory ceremony for the weightlifting men's 73kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia competes during the weightlifting men's 73kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia competes during the weightlifting men's 73kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Gold medalist Luo Shifang (C) of China, silver medalist Maude Charron (L) of Canada and bronze medalist Kuo Hsing-Chun of Chinese Taipei attend the awarding ceremony after the weightlifting women's 59kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
Gold medalist Luo Shifang (C) of China, silver medalist Maude Charron (L) of Canada and bronze medalist Kuo Hsing-Chun of Chinese Taipei take selfies during the awarding ceremony after the weightlifting women's 59kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Luo Shifang of China reacts during the weightlifting women's 59kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Luo Shifang of China competes during the weightlifting women's 59kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Luo Shifang of China reacts during the weightlifting women's 59kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)
Luo Shifang of China reacts during the weightlifting women's 59kg competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France, on Aug. 8, 2024. (Xinhua/Cao Can)
