Middleweight (≤71 kg), Women

The women’s middleweight class at the Paris Olympics was now contested at a limit of 71 kg, up from the 64 kg at the Tokyo Games, and the 63 kg that had been contested from 2000 to 2016. Maude Charron of Canada was the middleweight champion from the Tokyo Games, but competed in the lightweight in Paris where she won silver. Italy’s Giorgia Bordignon, who had won silver in Tokyo, did not compete in Paris, but the bronze medalist Chen Wen-Huei (TPE) did return to the Olympics.

With the weight classes being changed slightly for the Paris Games, there was no clear favorite for medals. Despite this, the field featured a strong line-up of competitors, including the snatch world record holder Angie Palacios (ECU), the Pan American Games champion Olivia Reeves (USA), and the two-time European champion Marie Josèphe Fegue (FRA).

Reeves led the way in the snatch when she lifted 117 kg with her third and final attempt. She was closely followed by Palacios and Loredana Toma (ROU). The Filipino lifter Vanessa Sarno was the first athlete to be eliminated after she failed to produce a valid attempt with her three lifts. Reeves continued her performance with her strong form in the clean & jerk, lifting 145 kg to maintain her lead in the competition. Toma, who was in third place following the snatch, failed to record a valid lift, resulting in her elimination.

With a total of 262 kg, Reeves won gold for the United States, with Mari Sánchez (COL) winning silver, and Palacios winning bronze. Chen Wen-Huei of Chinese Taipei, who had won bronze in Tokyo, could only manage sixth place in Paris.