Hampton Morris wins first U.S. men’s weightlifting medal in 40 years

The US’ lengthy await an Olympic males’s weightlifting medalist is over after 4 a long time, as Marietta, Georgia’s Hampton Morris lifted his strategy to bronze within the males’s 61kg (134 lbs.) remaining.

Morris snatched 126kg (278 lbs.), then lifted an Olympic record-equaling 172kg (379 lbs.) within the clear and jerk, for a complete of 298kg (657 lbs.) adequate for third place.

The 20-year-old turned the primary American man to win an Olympic weightlifting medal since Man Carlton took bronze within the males’s 110kg weight class on the 1984 Video games in Los Angeles. Morris can be the youngest U.S. males’s weightlifting medalist since 1956.

Thailand’s Theerapong Silachai took silver with a complete of 303kg (668 lbs.) behind Tokyo gold medalist Li Fabin of China, who efficiently defended his Olympic title with whole of 310kg (683 lbs.).

5 of the 11 individuals recorded DNFs, together with four-time Olympic medalist Eko Irawan, who bombed out within the clear and jerk after wrapping up the snatch part in silver medal place.

Morris, the world document holder within the clear and jerk, obtained a direct confidence enhance by changing on his first try within the snatch at 122kg.

“This complete time I’ve simply been so excited to be right here. I used to be very joyful after I made that first snatch and I felt very stable. I felt relieved that I made it,” Morris stated.

That eradicated any risk of a repeat of the 2023 World Championships, the place Morris bombed out within the snatch part. He recorded a no-lift in his second try at 125kg, however transformed on his third and remaining elevate at 126kg, only one kilo shy of his private finest.

On his first try within the clear and jerk, Morris uncharacteristically recorded a no-lift at 168kg, due partly to his again foot sliding on the unusually slippery platform, one thing that drew pissed off shouts from Morris’ coaches directed on the occasion organizers.

“On the clear and jerks, I felt actually nice within the again room. That first try up on stage — I’m mad. The white paint on the platform is slick, it’s not protected,” Morris stated.

Nevertheless, Morris adjusted on his subsequent elevate, transferring the bar as much as the entrance of the platform earlier than efficiently lifting 172kg to leapfrog Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq Bin Kasdan in third place.

“I approached the bar realizing I might make it. I didn’t have any doubt in my thoughts I might do it. It’s one thing I’ve performed in coaching loads of instances. There’s no room for doubt on this sport. Simply know you may make it and execute.”

With Li’s gold-medal whole out of practical attain, Morris loaded up a would-be private finest and world document 178kg onto the bar in an try to overtake Silachai for silver. The American cleaned the burden comfortably however couldn’t fairly management the jerk.

Nonetheless, Morris instantly turns into the face of American males’s weightlifting together with his podium efficiency. Coached by his father out of his storage, Morris is fueled by an enormous day by day espresso consumption (he commonly drinks 4 espressos and three chilly brews in a single day) and a love for the film “Miracle” concerning the 1980 U.S. Olympic ice hockey crew, which he watches on occasion days for motivation.

His younger age additionally places Morris on an thrilling trajectory that would have him hitting his prime in 4 years, simply in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.