Olivia Reeves Sets Record with 258 kg in total and Wins Gold in Pan American Games

Olivia Reeves, an American athlete, set a record for junior Pan American championships and became the champion in the 81 kg weight category for weightlifting. We want to remind you that as of October 23, 2023, the United States is the team of winners, having won the most gold medals in Santiago.

Chilean athlete María Fernanda Valdés was the main competitor of American athlete Olivia Reeves, but couldn’t surpass her in the performance she delivered. Not only did the American athlete manage to outperform her, but she also set a junior Pan American Games record. This happened at the Chimkowe Gymnasium in Peñalolén.

She is 20 years old and dominated her division. She achieved outstanding results in the snatch (114 kg) and clean and jerk (144 kg). As you can guess, the total weight added up to 258 kg, leading her to a clear victory.

Silver at the moment belongs to Dominican Republic resident Yudelina Mejía. She also showed a commendable performance in the snatch (111 kg) and clean and jerk (133 kg), totaling a respectable 244 kg. It’s not at the champion’s level but still excellent.

The third place and the bronze medal went to Laura Nascimento Amaro. She is a Brazilian athlete who had results in the snatch (110 kg) and clean and jerk (132 kg). Her total score is only 2 kg less than the silver medalist, amounting to 242 kg.

We mentioned Chilean resident María Fernanda Valdés for a reason. Many fans had high expectations for her since she previously won gold in the 87 kg division at the 2019 Lima Games. This time, she couldn’t defend her title and only secured ninth place. Her results were quite modest, with a snatch of 100 kg and clean and jerk of 125 kg, totaling only 225 kg, which is far behind the winners.

In the future, she may show her results in a more impressive way. In any case, this is not the end of the competition, and we will continue to watch the events.