QUEEN OF 71! Reeves Wins GOLD in Paris!

PARIS - Olivia Reeves became the first American gold medalist in 24 years and posted an Olympic record (117 kg) in the snatch as she bested all competition in the women’s 71 kg session at Paris 2024 on Friday morning. Reeves, 21, is the youngest American to claim Olympic gold in weightlifting since Ike Berger, 20, at Melbourne 1956. Lifting 117/145/262 and going 5-for-6, Reeves cleared the field by five kilograms as Colombia’s Mari Sanchez and Ecuador’s Dajomes Palacios finished with totals of 257 and 256, respectively. With the win, Reeves became the first American to earn gold since Tara Nott at Sydney 2000. The gold medal is the United States’ 17th gold in Olympic weightlifting.

FULL WOMEN’S 71 KG RESULTS

Reeves waited for the rest of the field to attempt their first snatch before loading the barbell with 112 kg and hitting her 10th opening snatch in a row. That opening weight matched her openers from the 2024 IWF World Cup and USAW National Championships as the heaviest she has ever attempted. Reeves then hit 115 kg on her second snatch. Reeves followed Romania’s Loredana Toma’s missed 117 kg attempt, an Olympic record, with her own go at the weight. Reeves successfully lifted that 117 kg to break the Olympic record, and she led Palacios by one kilogram after the snatch portion of the competition.

Reeves began the clean & jerk portion with a 140 kg opener, five kilos higher than any other opener in the session. The lift was Reeves’ 14th consecutive successful clean & jerk opener, and allowed her next attempt to cement the gold medal. As she set her sights on reaching the Olympic record, Reeves cleared 145 kg to take a resounding lead. Reeves then attempted to match her personal best and secure an Olympic record of 150 kg, but came just short of completing the jerk, finishing the day with five successful lifts.

Team USA has now had a medalist in three straight Olympic Games, as Sarah Robles collected bronze at Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020, and Kate Nye earned a silver at Tokyo 2020.

With Reeves’ gold and Hampton Morris’ bronze in the record books, Team USA has two more weightlifters competing in Paris. Wes Kitts will partake in the 102 kg session at 5:30 a.m. EST on Saturday morning and Mary Theisen-Lappen will compete in the +81 kg session at 5:30 a.m. EST on Sunday morning.

QUOTES

PARIS - Comments from Olivia Reeves’ coach Steve Fauer, and USAW Senior Director of Sport Performance Mike Gattone following the Women’s 71kg Weightlifting at South Paris Arena 6 on Friday.

Olivia Reeves’ coach Steve Fauer:

On his thoughts after their long journey to this day and result:

“Man, I'm just kind of speechless. She's just a remarkable athlete and a remarkable person, too. She's just been a great person to be on this journey with. Until right now, it's just really kind of hitting home what we've been able to accomplish. You think back, what was that back in Bogota, Colombia, when we were doing 106/139/245 and thinking that those were good weights. It took a heck of a lot more. Looking at where we were then, if I would have known where we needed to be, I would have thought there's just no way. There's just no way.  But somehow she put it together and it's amazing. Her work ethic, everything has just been incredible. Fun athlete to work with, for sure.”

USAW Senior Director of Sport Performance Mike Gattone:

On what’s going through his head after seeing Reeves’ earn Team USA’s first gold medal since Tara Nott in 2000:

“First of all, she’s Steve Fauer’s athlete. He busted his ass producing her since she was a little kid. I am very proud that I’ve been a part of her journey since 2019 Worlds. I think I’ve been at every international meet with Olivia. I just feel very proud of her. She’s just such a warrior. She’s so intrinsically steady. It doesn't really matter what’s happening around her, she manages to get it  together and pull things off. It was a really strategic competition. It felt, maybe to the crowd, like she was just rolling over everybody, but in the snatch I think she made exactly what we needed to put ourselves in that position. That was great. It was a lot of fun. Just making those lifts to get ahead by one kilogram and to make the American record. And of course Olivia is known for her big clean & jerk. So, we felt pretty confident on the 40 (140 kg) as an opener. We thought maybe opening a little bit heavier, but the competition just really necessitated, try to lock it down with that 140 opener. And then the Colombian, what a tough lifter. She was going up, so we wanted to make sure we were safe. So, 45 (145 kg) was the next logical progression to really cement everything, make sure it was safe. And then we told Olivia from the beginning – Olivia is very motivated by records, that's one of her superpowers. So, she wanted that number of 150 (kg), and we had said from the beginning, ‘you lock in a gold medal, you can take what you want’. So, we took the 150 (kg). Not quite there on the jerk today, but it didn't really matter at that point. Super proud of her.”