Luo Shifang emerged victorious in the women’s 59kg weightlifting event, clinching the gold medal with a stellar performance that saw her set new Olympic records. Shifang's total weight lifted of 241kg not only secured her the Olympic gold but also established a new Olympic record, adding to her existing world record in the category. Her exceptional lifts in both the snatch and clean and jerk elements, with 107kg and 134kg respectively, showcased her dominance in the competition.
The competition kicked off with an intense snatch portion in South Paris, where multiple lifters shattered the previous Olympic record. Among them were Luo Shifang, Maude Charron from Canada, and Kuo Hsing-Chun from Taiwan, all surpassing the previous record. However, it was Shifang who ultimately outlifted her competitors, setting the stage for her gold medal triumph.
As the event transitioned to the clean and jerk segment, Luo continued her impressive performance by setting a new Olympic record with a 134kg lift, surpassing the previous record by 1kg. Despite attempts by Kuo and Anyelin Venegas Valera from Venezuela to outperform her, Luo's record-setting lift remained unmatched, securing her the top spot on the podium.
The final standings saw Luo Shifang claiming the gold medal, followed by Maude Charron with the silver and Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Kuo Hsing-Chun taking home the bronze. However, the competition was not without its share of setbacks, as Ukraine’s Kamila Konotop faced a challenging moment during her snatch attempts. Suffering a potential hamstring injury while aiming to break the Olympic record, Konotop displayed resilience but was unable to complete her lifts in the clean and jerk part.
