Jourdan Delacruz Takes Fifth Place in Second Olympic Games
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PARIS - Jourdan Delacruz took fifth place in the women’s 49 kg session at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. Lifting in her second Games, the 26-year-old went 3-for-6 and lifted 84/111/195.
China’s Zhihui Hou took gold with a 206 kg total thanks in part to an Olympic record 117 kg clean & jerk on her last attempt that overtook Romania’s Mihaela Cambei by one kilogram. Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao rounded out the podium with a total of 200 kg.
Delacruz opened the competition with an 84 kg snatch attempt. This was two kilograms less than her last 49 kg opener at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix II, but equal to her last competition opener at the 2024 USAW National Championships in Pittsburgh, where she competed at 55 kg. Delacruz successfully completed the lift, but missed her next two attempts. The 84 kg snatch left her in seventh after the snatch portion.
Delacruz started the clean & jerk portion of the meet by hitting her first attempt at 105 kg. With work to do in pursuit of a medal, she bumped up the second attempt to 110 kg. She completed the clean, but could not finish the jerk. With one opportunity left, Delacruz loaded 111 kg on the bar and completed the lift to end her competition.
Delacruz’s fifth-place finish followed Hampton Morris’ bronze medal performance in the 61 kg session. Team USA has three weightlifters still waiting to compete in Paris. Olivia Reeves comes in at No. 1 at 71 kg and will lift Friday at 1:30 p.m. Eastern.
QUOTES
PARIS - Comments from fifth place Jourdan DELACRUZ (USA), her coach Spencer Arnold, and USAW Senior Director of Sport Performance Mike Gattone following the Women’s 49kg Weightlifting at South Paris Arena 6 on Wednesday.
Jourdan DELACRUZ (USA) - Fifth Place
On how she’s reflecting on her performance:
“It's bittersweet. I definitely expected a better performance. I expected to be on that podium today, but I'm not as sad as I thought I would be and I think that's just because I've had an amazing Olympic experience so far and knowing that my friends and family are here waiting for me – that's making it so much better. But I'm really proud of myself. Today has been a battle, starting last night. So, I've overcome a lot so far.”
On her bend and wave to the crowd following her last lift:
“I’m not 100 percent sure, but in a lot of ways, this feels like my last competition. So, it was just a moment for me to acknowledge the barbell, this sport, and everything that it's taught me and how much I've grown as a person in the last 10 years.”
Coach Spencer Arnold:
On what’s going through his mind following the competition:
“I mean, a little bit of relief, right. Got a nice total. 195 (kg) total is a big total for her. It's not a bad day. If you look historically, that's a good total for her. So, happy that we walked away with a total. Really happy we got to end on that make at 111 (kg). I think you go back and forth, you waffle. You weigh the back and forths of ‘do we put 16 (116 kg) on the bar, do we put ourselves in a spot for a medal?’ Or do you make sure that her hopes and dreams get taken care of? We came here for an experience. We came here for some finality. We came here to finish. That was the way to finish. So, I'm really happy she made the last one. I think that was a really important lift for her career. It's sort of a capstone on what has been one of the most illustrious careers in weightlifting. So, really happy where she is for sure.”
USAW Senior Director of Sport Performance Mike Gattone:
On his emotions after Delacruz stepped off the platform for the last time:
“Roller coaster, right? I was so up from Hamp (Hampton Morris), then so up from her on that clean & jerk. So proud of her on that fight. Jourdan has just been a leader of this team. I was on her first Junior Worlds with her in 2017. I've seen her grow and progress. She's always steady. What we always say about Jourdan is that she's a professional and that's what I'm always going to remember about her and that's how I'm always think about her."
