Weightlifting 2024 Paris Olympics Preview

Men's -61kg

China is so strong here that they could have more than one potential medalist if the entry system allowed it. Instead, it will be Li Fabin (China) looking to become a double Olympic champion. He has won the last three World Championships he competed in. Eko Yuli Irawan (Indonesia) has won medals at the last four Olympics, including silver behind Fabin in Tokyo but never gold. His current World Championship medal tally is eight. Sergio Massidda (Italy) is only 22 and improved from fourth in the 2022 World Championship to second in 2023. Another youngster is Theerapong Silachai (Thailand). Only 20, he won at the 2023 World Championships in the -55kg division. Hampton Morris (United States) is also 20 and showed his ability when finishing second at the 2023 Grand Prix in Havana and the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket. John Ceniza (Philippines) could only finish fourth in Phuket but was second in 2023 in Doha, ahead of Aniq Kasdan (Malaysia) who was the Commonwealth Games winner at -55kg. The last two European champions will also compete. Ivan Dimov (Bulgaria) was the European champion in 2022 but could only win bronze in 2023. Shota Mishvelidze (Georgia) won in 2023 to add to his previous World Championship medals, bronze in 2017 and silver in 2021. Kaimauri Erati (Kiribati), Morea Baru (Papua New Guinea) and Trinh Van Vinh (Vietnam) will also compete.

It feels like with so many capable of lifting 300kg, all the medalists will need to go over that. The battle seems to be is Morris is improving quickly enough to compete with Fabin. Morris set a clean and jerk world record earlier in the year and if the snatch is anywhere near Fabin, he will think he can win. I think it comes maybe a year too early for him, but do keep an eye out if the snatch score is big. Irawan has been so consistently good but this looks a step too far. Instead, I think it goes to one of the youngsters, either Silachai or Massidda. I edge to the younger Thai who seems to be improving after moving up weight divisions.

🥇Li Fabin 🇨🇳

🥈Hampton Morris 🇺🇸

🥉Theerapong Silachai 🇹🇭

Men's -73kg

Three Olympic medalists from Tokyo return. Shi Ziyong (China) won gold in Tokyo, adding to his title from Rio. He was dominant in World Cup events but has been beaten into second at the most recent events. Julio Mayora (Venezuela) won silver in Tokyo. Luis Javier Mosquera (Colombia) has two medals, silver in Tokyo and bronze in Rio, although, both came at a lower weight. The 2023 World Champion was Weeraphon Wichuma (Thailand) and he’ll only be 19 in Paris. He was beaten in the 2023 Asian Championship by Masanori Miyamoto (Japan). Ritvars Suharevs (Latvia) was the 2023 European champion and won the 2023 Grand Prix in Doha. Winning in 2024 at the Grand Prix in Phuket was Rizki Juniansyah (Indonesia), who was also a World Championship silver medalist in 2022. Bozhidar Andreev (Bulgaria) also has a World Championship medal. He won bronze in 2019 before coming fourth in 2022. Muhammed Furkan Ozbek (Turkey) won bronze in 2023 after becoming the European Champion in 2022. Bak Joo-hyo (South Korea), Bernadin Matam (France), Kareem Ben Hnia (Tunisia) will also be competing but will not be expected to medal.

Juniansyah set a world record earlier in the year and is only not a world champion because teammate Rahmat Erwin Abdullah beat him in 2022. Ziyong looks to be on the decline but is always capable of big numbers. Andreev may be the person in the field with the highest upside, but he doesn’t often put it together. Wichuma and Miyamoto have both shown the ability to total 350kg. Ozbek is another who has the potential of putting it together and if Mayora puts it together he can compete but he has to be seen as an outside shot. I think Juniansyah gets the win ahead of Ziyong and Wichuma, whilst Andreev can be their biggest challenger if he puts it together.

🥇Rizki Juniansyah 🇮🇩

🥈Shi Ziyong 🇨🇳

🥉Weeraphon Wichuma 🇹🇭

Men's -89kg

The 2023 World Champion was Mirmostafa Javadi (Iran), but he only finished third in the Asian Championships. Yu Dong-ju (South Korea) was the 2021 World Champion and was fifth in the 2024 Grand Prix event in Phuket. Karim Abokahla (Egypt) also won a 2023 World Championship in the -96kg division after previously finishing fourth in 2021 at -89kg. Despite this being a new weight class for the Olympics, one Olympic medalist returns in Keydomar Vallenilla (Venezuela), who won silver in Tokyo at -96kg. Back down at -89kg he was the 2022 world champion before finishing fourth in 2023. Karlos Nasar (Bulgaria) is the reigning European champion. He was a World Champion at -81kg in 2021 and has looked very impressive since moving up in weight. At the 2024 Grand Prix event in Phuket, he nearly set a world record and he won the 2023 Grand Prix in Doha. He was ahead of Yelson Lopez (Colombia) at both Grand Prix events, who also finished second behind Vallenilla in the 2023 Pan-American Games. Behind Nasar at the European Championships were Andranik Karapetyan (Armenia) and Marin Robu (Moldova). Antonio Pizzolato (Italy) is a former European Champion. He took gold in 2022 and 2021 at -81kg. He also finished third in the 2023 Grand Prix event in Doha and fourth in Phuket in 2024. Boady Santavy (Canada), Kyle Bruce (Australia) and Romain Imadouchene (France) will also compete.

Nasar should win this. He is already the clean and jerk world record holder, and I fancy him to set an overall world record, potentially exceeding 400kg. The only danger will be if he doesn’t manage a lift. Behind him, both of the South Americans have a chance with Abokahla and Pizzolato the most likely other dangers. Lopez has shown his ability in the Grand Prix events and I edge Vallenilla to Pizzolato based on his impressive major championship resume.

🥇Karlos Nasar 🇧🇬

🥈Yelson Lopez 🇨🇴

🥉Keydomar Vallenilla 🇻🇪

Men's -102kg

Another new weight category, but it still features Olympic gold medalists. Akbar Djuraev (Uzbekistan) won in Tokyo at -109kg. He was also a double world champion at that weight before moving down and he won the 2024 Asian Championship at this weight. Another Olympic champion is Fares El-Bakh (Qatar), who won gold in Tokyo in the -96kg category. Since moving up, he became the 2022 World Champion and won the 2023 Grand Prix in Doha, where he beat the 2023 world champion Liu Huanhua (China). Behind him in second at the 2023 World Championship was Jang Yeon-Hok (South Korea). South Korea do have several strong options but Yeon-Hok will be expecting to medal. Another strong team is Armenia and Garik Karapetyan (Armenia) will compete. He was European champion in 2023 and has podiumed at the recent Grand Prix events. Third place finisher at the 2023 World Championship was Yauheni Tsikhantsou (Belarus), who was the 2019 world champion and won the 2023 Grand Prix in Havana. Lesman Paredes (Bahrain) is another world champion who will compete, having won at -96kg in 2021 and 2022. Davranbek Hasanbayev (Turkmenistan) has a powerful snatch and set a personal best when finishing fifth in the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket. Wesley Kitts (United States) has also performed well in Grand Prix events, finishing second in 2023 in Havana. Irakli Chkheidze (Georgia) was a silver medalist in the 2023 European Champion and has finished in the top ten of the World Championship numerous times. Ahmed Abuzriba (Libya), Don Opeloge (Samoa) and Ramiro Mora Romero (Refugee) will also be competing.

Huanhua was very impressive when setting a world record earlier in the year and looks hard to beat. Djuraev has lifted higher but that was at a higher weight. As his body settles into the weight he could be a contender. El-Bakh has proven himself at this weight and thus is perhaps more likely to compete here, with Yeon-Hok, Karapetyan and Tsikhantsou also putting up very impressive numbers in recent years. This feels like one of the more competitive divisions, especially for the medals after gold. All seem capable of totalling around 400kg. I think Karapetyan seems to be on the upswing, given his age and will put him into silver. Behind him, I think El-Bakh can be the one who takes bronze, with a stronger clean and jerk phase leaving him able to chase.

🥇Liu Huanhua 🇨🇳

🥈Garik Karapetyan 🇦🇲

🥉Fares El-Bakh 🇶🇦

Men's +102kg

Lasha Talakhadze (Georgia) is incredibly dominant, maybe the most dominant athlete at the whole Olympics. He has won every major tournament since 2015 and holds the world record. The man who has mostly suffered behind Talakhadze is Gor Minasyan (Bahrain). He has won silver at three World Championships as well as the 2016 Olympics. He finished third at the 2021 and 2023 World Championships while dominating the Asian tournaments. Another Olympic runner-up behind Talakhadze is Ali Davoudi (Iran), who finished second in Tokyo. He has finished fourth at the last two World Championships and won the 2023 Grand Prix event in Havana. He came second at the 2023 Asian Games. Another past Olympic medalist, winning bronze in Tokyo was Man Assad (Syria). Varazdat Lalayan (Armenia) has won medals at the last three World Championships, including two silvers and also won the 2023 Grand Prix in Doha. David Liti (New Zealand) came second in the 2023 Grand Prix in Havana. Mart Seim (Estonia) had two fifths in World Championships, but those were over five years ago. Abdelrahman El-Sayed (Egypt), Ali Rubaiwi (Iraq), Eishiro Murakami (Japan), Kamil Kucera (Czech Republic) and Walid Bidabi (Algeria) have all had decent World Championship results, but this may be a step too far.

Talakhadze will be one of the stronger favourites in the weightlifting events, he barely loses. An injury at the start of 2024 is a slight concern, but I struggle to see him beaten in competition. The other medals seem to have less competition than a lot of the other weight divisions and I expect this to come down to Davoudi, Lalayan and Minasyan. Davoudi has to improve his performance in the snatch to be able to lay down a challenge to medal. Instead, I think Lalayan can take silver with Minasyan in bronze.

🥇Lasha Talakhadze 🇬🇪

🥈Varazdat Lalayan 🇦🇲

🥉Gor Minasyan 🇧🇭

Women's -49kg

Hou Zhihui (China) has mainly struggled behind her compatriots over this Olympic cycle, but is the reigning Olympic champion. She has won medals at the last three World Championships without taking gold, but secured her place by coming second in the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket. The 2021 world champion was Surodchana Khambao (Thailand), though she could only finish fourth in 2023. She was behind Jourdan Delacruz (United States), who has moved down from the -55kg division and won the 2023 Pan-American Championship. The 2023 European champion was Mihaela Cambei (Romania), who has been so near world honours, finishing fourth in 2022 and fifth in 2023.  Someone who has had success is Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (India). She won Olympic silver in Tokyo and also at the 2022 World Championship. In 2021, the World Championship silver medalist was Rira Suzuki (Japan). Another World Championship silver medalist is Rosina Randafiarison (Madagascar), who medalled in the lowest weight category. Nina Sterckx (Belgium) was sixth in 2022 and finished fifth at the Tokyo Olympics, where she was behind Fang Wan-ling (Taiwan). Beatriz Piron (Dominican Republic) also competed in Tokyo, only finishing eighth. She did win the 2023 Grand Prix in Havana, but only finished third at the 2023 Pan-American Games where she was behind Katherin Echandia (Venezuela). Nicola Lagatao (Guam) will also compete.

This is one of the divisions most affected by the qualification process, as the current world record holder will not be in Paris. Zhihui is operating on a different level from the rest of her competitors here and I make her a heavy favourite. The other competitors are likely battling around the 200kg mark. I think it comes down to DelaCruz and Cambei, with Chanu and Suzuki are big contenders.

🥇Hou Zhihui 🇨🇳

🥈Jourdan Delacruz 🇺🇸

🥉Mihaela Cambei 🇷🇴

Women's -59kg

Kuo Hsing-chun (Taiwan) is an incredible story and remains a likely medal contender. She won gold in Tokyo after winning bronze in 2016 and is a five-time world champion. The 2023 world champion is Luo Shifang (China), who also won the 2023 Asian Championship. She also took the 2023 Grand Prix in Doha and the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket. The 2023 Grand Prix in Havana was won by Janeth Gomez Valdivia (Mexico). In 2022, the world champion was Yenny Alvarez (Colombia), improving on her silver from 2021. Maude Charron (Canada) was third in 2022 and won the Pan-American Championship in 2023. Kamila Konotop (Ukraine) won the European Championship in 2023 after winning silver in the World Championship. In 2022, it was Dora Tchakounte (France), who won the European Championship finishing ahead of Lucrezia Magistris (Italy). Rafiatu Lawal (Nigeria) was the Commonwealth Games winner in 2022 and finished sixth at the 2021 and 2023 World Championships. Elreen Ando (Philippines) came fifth in 2021 and beat out former Olympic champion Hidalyn Diaz to get the Olympic spot. Anyelin Venegas (Venezuela) and Mattie Sasser (Marshall Islands) will also compete.

Konotop needs to lead after the snatch, because her clean and jerk doesn’t match the top girls. That is Shifang who has a big edge in the clean and jerk which should give her the gold here unless someone manages to put her under pressure in the snatch. Charron is a big part of the next set of weightlifters and I think she can come out with the silver medal. Behind her, the battle should be between Hsing-Chun, Alvarez and Konotop. Konotop will need the pressure on after the snatch, but I think she will struggle to overcome Hsing-Chun who always performs in big events.

🥇Luo Shifang 🇨🇳

🥈Maude Charron 🇨🇦

🥉Kuo Hsing-Chun 🇹🇼

Women's -71kg

Again China would have a strong entrant if not for the entry restrictions. Instead, it will be a pretty open affair. Loredana Toma (Romania) was the 2022 world champion and also won gold at the 2023 European Championships. Angie Palacios (Ecuador) swept the Pan-American events in 2023 and has inched closer to World Championship gold, winning bronze in 2022 and silver in 2023. Olivia Reeves (United States) has also improved, finishing fourth in 2021 before winning bronze in 2023. Fourth place in 2023 was Neama Said (Egypt). Vanessa Sarno (Philippines) came fifth in the 2021 World Championships and was an Asian Champion in 2020, before finishing second in 2023. Behind her in third was Chen Wen-huei (Taiwan), who came fourth in the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket. Siuzanna Valodzka (Belarus) was second in the 2023 Grand Prix in Havana. She finished sixth in the 2023 World Championship, ahead of Mari Sanchez (Colombia) in seventh, the Pan-American Games silver medalist. Amanda Schott (Brazil), Joy Ogbonne Eze (Nigeria) and Marie Fegue (France) have all been in the top eight of recent World Championships, while Jacqueline Nichele (Australia) will also compete.

This could have been a really strong competition, but missing the competitors from China and North Korea means Reeves is a strong favourite. She should really win this going away from the field. Behind her, Palacios will have a leg up on her rivals as she looks to be stronger in the snatch. Behind her, I think Toma and Wen-huei will be battling for bronze with Sarno behind. She is a danger as the youngest so likely has the most improvement to come.

🥇Olivia Reeves 🇺🇸

🥈Angie Palacios 🇪🇨

🥉Loredana Toma 🇷🇴

Women's -81kg

Sara Ahmed (Egypt) is a double reigning world champion, having won her titles down at -76kg. She also has an Olympic bronze from 2016 at -69kg. The favourite may be Neisi Dajomes (Ecuador), who came through fierce competition with compatriot Tamara Salazar to take this spot. She won gold at the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket. The winner of the 2023 Grand Prix in Havana was Solfrid Koanda (Norway). Eileen Cikamatana (Australia) will also be a contender, having won World Cup events and won bronze at the 2023 World Championships. Kim Su-hyeon (South Korea) was fifth in the 2024 Grand Prix in Phuket and comes from a country with a strong reputation at this weight. The Americas have a strong hand here, as well as Dajomes they have Ayamey Medina (Cuba) who was second in the 2023 Pan-American Championship. Yudelina Mejia (Dominican Republic) was second at the 2023 Pan-American Games, ahead of Laura Amaro (Brazil), who came fifth in the 2023 World Championship. Weronika Zielinska-Stubinska (Poland) came sixth in 2023, while Monkhjantsangiin Ankhtsetseg (Mongolia) was bronze medalist at the 2023 Asian Championship. Ajah Pritchard Lolo (Vanuatu), Rigina Adashbaeva (Uzbekistan) and Yekta Jamali (Refugee) will also be competing.

A number of these lifters have moved up in weight having begun in a lower weight division. Dajomes needs to develop a lead in the snatch, as Koanda and Ahmed especially will come back to her in the clean and jerk. Cikamatana will need to lift well in the snatch to be competitive. Instead, I think she will fall a little bit short of getting a medal.

🥇Neisi Dajomes 🇪🇨

🥈Sara Ahmed 🇪🇬

🥉Solfrid Koanda 🇳🇴

Women's +81kg

Li Wenwen (China) will be looking to retain the Olympic crown that she won in Tokyo. She has since won the 2022 World Championship and 2023 Asian Championships. However, at the 2023 World Championship, she was one of several of the favourites who did not perform a lift. This allowed Park Hye-Jeong (South Korea) to take gold and she backed it up with a win at the 2023 Asian Games. Mary Theisen-Lappen (USA) came second and has won the Pan-American tournaments in 2023. She also won the Grand Prix events in Doha and Havana in 2023. Lisseth Ayovi (Ecuador) was the bronze medal winner at the 2023 World Championships and came second at the 2023 Pan-American Games. Duangaksorn Chaidee (Thailand) is another former World Championship medalist, winning silver in 2021 and bronze in 2022. Ahead of her in 2022, winning silver was Emily Campbell (Great Britain). She had previously won bronze in 2021 and was Britain’s first Olympic weightlifting medalist when winning silver in Tokyo. Nurul Akmal (Indonesia) competed in Tokyo, only finishing fifth and was an Asian Championship silver medalist in 2022. There are also bronze medalists from the 2023 Pan-American Championships and Pan-American Games in Naryury Perez (Venezuela) and Crismery Santana (Dominican Republic) respectively. Iuniarra Sipaia (Samoa) won bronze in the 2023 Grand Prix in Doha and was sixth in the 2023 World Championship. Halima Abbas (Egypt) will also compete and she came fourth in the 2023 World Championship. Tursunoy Jabborova (Uzbekistan) has moved up in weight from the -87kg category where she has a silver and a bronze medal from the 2021 and 2022 Wold Championships respectively.

Wenwen is the clear favourite, and perhaps her challenge will be whether she can compete with her own world record. The battle for the other medals may come down to if anyone can go over 300kg. Hye-jeong has come closest to it over recent years and I think she can win silver and go over 300kg. The battle for bronze is fascinating. Chaidee and Abbas have the best snatch lifts, whilst Campbell and Theisen-Lappen will be better in the clean + jerk section of the competition. I do edge towards Campbell to edge Chaidee, but could see that going both ways and think it will be a great battle.

🥇Li Wenwen 🇨🇳

🥈Park Hye-jeong 🇰🇷

🥉Emily Campbell 🇬🇧