Tokyo Olympics 2020 Day 1 Weightlifting Results: China Dominates as India Gets Podium Finish

The women’s weightlifting 49kg event at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 provided us with a ton of entertainment. Records broke, medals won, tears cried and of course weight lifted in a sparkling competition. However, the Asian countries smoked their competitors as Hou Zhihui from China, Mirabai Chanu from India, and Cantika Aisah from Indonesia took home gold, silver, and bronze.

China takes home weightlifting gold; India wins silver at Tokyo Olympics 2020

When we say records fell, China destroyed their competition, despite the immense pressure. Hou Zhihui shocked the judges and the world when she lifted 94kg in the snatch round, only to trounce it with a 116kg lift in the clean and jerk event.

While she took gold, India’s Mirabai Chanu Saikhom attempted to break the record set by the Chinese. She came within a hair’s breath away from taking gold, but her failed attempt at 117kg destroyed her hopes for gold. Although winning silver is a monumental feat, some can say she had to settle for it.

Indonesia got into the action with a shock bronze medal. Windy Cantika Aisah lifted 103, 108 and 100kgs, making it three successful lifts out of three to take home bronze. She couldn’t match up to the Indian or Chinese superstars, but being the same conversation as them is in itself monumental achivement.

This win was China’s second gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. Yang Qian took home gold in the women’s 10m air pistol event. They lead the medal tally with two golds, but Chanu Mirabai’s silver puts India in second place for now.

USA and Japan disappoint in weightlifting

Despite not being the outright favorites, USA and Japan did not send their fans home happy at the women’s weightlifting event. Japan’s Hiromi Miyake finished dead last, with two failed attempts in the snatch event. What shocked her home fans was three failed attempts out of three in the clean and jerk event.

USA’s Jourdan Elizabeth Delacruz finished one spot above her Japanese opponent, but came close to clinching bronze. However, three failed 108 kg lifts put her out of the competition. One can only wonder why she aimed for such a heavy lift in the first attempt when the bronze medalist lifted 103kgs in the first attempt.

USA and Japan will have to step it up in the remaining events to wash the taste of weightlifting humiliation from their mouths.

Read more: VIDEO: 18-Year Old Weightlifter Breaks Down in Tears After Judges Rule Out Her Attempt at Tokyo Olympics 2020