Paris, Men 61kg: Li Fabin wins again for  China, Thailand and USA on podium – and five bombouts in dramatic opener

Li Fabin from China claimed his second gold medal and an Olympic record as he won the opening weightlifting contest at the Paris Games. Two 20-year-olds from Thailand and the United States, Theerapong Silachai and Hampton Morris, finished second and third.

There was excitement throughout the 61kg session, watched by a full house of about 4,000 at the South Paris Arena. Five men bombed out, including three medal hopefuls.

Li Fabin (CHN)

There was a gasp from the noisy Team China supporters when Li missed his first clean and jerk attempt, but he made the next one and finished clear with a four-from-six 143-167-310, setting an Olympic snatch record along the way.

Li, 31, had won in Tokyo with a total 3kg higher. He said before the Games that his body was “feeling less agile” at the age of 31 and had been expected to retire. But he may have a change of mind after the excitement in Paris.

When Li won in Tokyo there was no audience. “I haven’t thought about carrying on, but after coming here and experiencing this, now I have to think about whether I continue to Los Angeles or not,” he said.

Silachai and Morris seem sure to be there. Silachai, who was ranked sixth in qualifying, took silver with a career-best performance and immediately set his target for 2028 – “a minimum of 315kg to win gold”.

Theerapong Silachai (THA)

In a session that featured 44 red lights compared with 28 white ones on the scoreboard, Silachai was the only lifter to make all six attempts. He finished 132-171-303, the first time he exceeded 300kg. Silachai made small increases throughout and, unusually, improved his snatch by more than he improved his clean and jerk – 5kg to 4kg.

Morris failed to better his own clean and jerk world record when he went for a final attempt at 178kg. But he was already assured of bronze and was in tears as he hugged his father and coach, Tripp, after bringing the competition to a close. Morris finished 126-172-298 from his three good lifts.

“It was amazing – so much more than I imagined,” said Morris, the only athlete from the Americas in a field of 12, and the first USA male medallist in weightlifting since 1984. “I’m so, so glad to have my dad here with me.  

Hampton Morris (USA)

“I was always confident about making that 172,” he said of the second clean and jerk that put him ahead of fourth-placed Aniq Kasdan from Malaysia. “I approached the bar knowing I would make it. There’s no room for doubt in this sport.”

Eko Yuli Irawan from Indonesia had been on course for a record fifth straight Olympic medal when he took second place in snatch on 135kg. The 35-year-old had to be helped off the platform when he failed with all three clean and jerks.

Irawan, who was troubled by a knee injury during qualifying, went 17 years without a bombout in a career that began in 2006, but has not made a total in his past four competitions.

The other bombouts were all in snatch. Sergio Massidda from Italy and John Ceniza from the Philippines – third and fifth in qualifying, either side of fourth-placed Irawan – failed with all three attempts, as did Trinh van Vinh from Vietnam and Ivan Dimov from Bulgaria.

By Brian Oliver