18 Medals, Numerous National Records Highlight Junior World Championships for USA

LEON, Spain – Team USA earned 18 medals and was represented by 20 athletes in Leon, Spain at the IWF Junior World Championships. The United States' men and women both finished in first place by nation, with the men earning five golds and three silvers and the women adding another five golds and five silvers. Hampton Morris and Ella Nicholson swept gold in their weight classes, while Caden Cahoy and Miranda Ulrey added two golds each to make four American champions. The United States had six total medalists in Cahoy, Gabe Chhum, Katie Estep, Morris, Nicholson, and Ulrey. After earning 13 medals in 2022, Team USA has now earned 18 in back-to-back IWF World Junior Championships. Last year’s count was 10 golds, five silvers, and three bronzes. The American medalists only landed in the top two podium spots this go-around, with 13 golds and five silvers.

Five American records and 11 personal records were also set during the competition. Nationals records came from Ulrey, Estep and Nicholson. Ulrey set the junior 59 kg clean and jerk record with her 117 kg lift; Estep set the junior 64 kg snatch record with her 100 kg lift, and she tied the total record of 222 kg; and Nicholson set new junior and senior 76 kg snatch records when she lifted 113 kg. Nicholson also upped the junior total record with her 244 kg total. 

Full 2024 IWF Junior World Championships Results Book
Full Results (IWF site)

Morris continued the momentum from the Paris Olympics in his final junior meet by lifting 126/165/291 to sweep 61 kg gold. In an American 1-2 punch, Gabe Chhum swept silver in the same weight class, tying his 125 kg snatch personal record alongside a 153 kg clean & jerk and 278 kg total to mark the most weight that he has lifted in an international meet. Cahoy earned 73 kg gold for his clean & jerk (180 kg) and total (326 kg), while posting a personal record snatch (146 kg) that was fourth place in the session.

On the women’s side, Nicholson, 18, set American junior (110 kg) and senior (112 kg) records with her 113 kg snatch. She lifted 113/131/244 to win the 76 kg session by 12 kg. Ulrey lifted 93/117/210 in the 59 kg session, setting a new American record in the clean & jerk. With silver and bronze posting totals of 209 kg and 208 kg, respectively, that lift effectively secured her gold medal in the total. Ulrey now owns all three junior American records. Katie Estep swept silver in the 64 kg session while setting a junior American record (100 kg) in the snatch and tying the total (222 kg) record. She was perfect on the platform until her final clean & jerk. In the same session, teammate Sophie Shaft finished fourth across the board after lifting 97/120/217. Katie Witte added a silver medal in the 81 kg session with her 129 kg clean & jerk, a seven kilo personal best.

Team USA Results:

Name, weight category, top snatch/top clean & jerk/total, overall place

Bella Rodriguez, 55 kg, 75/100/175, 11th overall

Miranda Ulrey, 59 kg, 93/117/210, silver SN/gold CJ/gold total

Kailey Papas, 59 kg, 85/106/191, 12th overall

Hampton Morris, 61 kg, 126/165/291, gold sweep

Gabe Chhum, 61 kg, 125/153/276, silver sweep

Katie Estep, 64 kg, 100/122/222, silver SN/silver CJ/silver total

Sophie Shaft, 64, 97/120/217, 4th overall

Dom Polerini, 67 kg, 113/144/257, 11th overall

Nicole Caamano, 71 kg, 98/117/215, 6th overall

Caden Cahoy, 73 kg, 146/180/326, gold CJ/gold total

Ryan McDonald, 73 kg, 125/157/282, 9th overall

Ella Nicholson, 76 kg, 113/131/244, gold sweep

Alyssa Ballard, 76 kg, 88/118/206, 11th overall

Hutton Boles, 81 kg, 150/168/218, 14th overall

Zakaria Naas, 81 kg, 141/170/311, 15th overall

Katie Witte, 81 kg, 95/129/224, C&J silver, 8th overall

Kyle Martin Jr., 89 kg, 136/166/302, 17th overall

Tim Davis, 96 kg, 150/188/338, 7th overall

George Upmeyer, 96 kg, 145/175/320, 13th overall

Amanda Robles, 87 kg, 96/114/210, 6th overall