Indonesia’s Rizki Juniansyah triumphed in the men’s 73kg Olympic weightlifting competition at the Paris Games on Thursday, securing the gold medal with a total lift of 354kg. In doing so, he set a new Olympic record in the clean and jerk, a feat made even more impressive by the fact that reigning champion Shi Zhiyong from China failed to complete the event.
Juniansyah started strong, lifting 155kg in the snatch, putting him in a commanding position. He then delivered a Herculean effort in the second round of the clean and jerk, lifting a staggering 199kg, a weight that secured him the gold medal.
The battle for second and third place was intense, with Thailand’s Weeraphon Wichuma ultimately taking silver from Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Andreev. The 19-year-old Wichuma lifted 198kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total of 346kg, two kilos ahead of Andreev, but still eight kilos behind the victorious Juniansyah.
“I am happy, proud, and very emotional winning with this, my first gold medal and creating history,” Juniansyah shared with reporters. “Thank you to all the Indonesians for their support, to those who are watching at home,” he added. “There are no words that can describe how I am feeling. You saw me crying because it’s been such an emotional and beautiful experience, and I am already looking towards the future.”
Meanwhile, Chinese lifter Shi Zhiyong missed all three of his attempts in the clean and jerk, ending his participation early and leaving the stage in a stunned Paris Expo arena. He had dominated the snatch round, lifting a monumental 165kg, a full 10kg more than his closest rivals. He then attempted to break his own Olympic record in the snatch but was unable to secure the bar and complete the lift.
Going into the clean and jerk with a comfortable lead, Shi’s hopes of defending his title crumbled as he failed to complete any of his attempts at 191kg. This unexpected turn of events resulted in a DNF (Did Not Finish) designation for the two-time Olympic gold medalist, who had previously claimed the 69kg gold at Rio 2016.
