Sarah Robles became the first U.S. woman to win multiple weightlifting medals, lifting bronze Monday in the 87+kg class at the Tokyo Olympics.
First place was never in doubt, as China's Li Wenwen didn't even bother to attempt lifts at her competitors' declared weights, waiting until they were done to make her lifts. In the snatch, Li waited until Robles had finished her third successful lift, this one at 128kg, and entered the fray at 130kg. She lifted that, then 135kg, then an Olympic record 140kg. In the clean and jerk, she also used her first attempt to lift something heavier than any of the athletes attempted with their last lifts, again completing all three lifts, again taking an Olympic record (180kg) and posting an Olympic record total of an even 320kg. She won by 37kg without even attempting anything close to her world record of 335kg.
The three-time Olympian was in second place after the snatch, where she completed all three of her attempts, the last at 128kg. In the clean and jerk phase, she lifted 150kg and then 154kg. Great Britain's Emily Jade Campbell lifted 156kg with her second effort in clean and jerk, taking her total to 278kg. Robles, then standing on a total of 282kg, tried to pad her lead with an attempt at 157kg but couldn't complete it. Campbell set the bar at 161kg and was successful, taking her to 283kg to edge the American for silver.
SEE MORE: Wang Zhouyu totals 270 kg for China's 6th weightlifting gold
Rogers takes sixth
In the women's 87kg class, one weight class down from where Li, Campbell and Robles competed, U.S. lifter Mattie Rogers made her first attempt at the snatch but had her second (111kg) ruled out after a replay. She then missed her next attempt at 112kg. In the clean and jerk, she used all three of her allotted attempts at 138kg, finally clearing the weight on her last try to finish with a total of 246kg, 10kg off the podium.
China's Wang Zhouyu wasn't as dominant as Li but still took a convincing win with 270kg, seven ahead of Ecuador's Yajaira Salazar.
SEE MORE: U.S.' Mattie Rogers emotional after 138kg clean and jerk
