Weightlifting at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 has started with a bang. China, the dominant force at the Olympics for the past decade, is leading the table in the sport. Even though there was a delay for this year’s Olympics, the Chinese contingent has come up strong. Following a gold medal and new Olympic record lift from Z.H. Hou in the women’s 49 kg event on Day 2, China produced an encore on Day 3 of the Games.

Fabin Li won the 61kg men’s category and set a new Olympic record (313 kg) as well. The Chinese weightlifter won the gold medal to help his country in the medals tally.

Fabin Li reigns supreme in Tokyo Olympics 2020

The Chinese weightlifter performed brilliantly in the weightlifting competition. Once again, the reigning champion proved why he is the number one weightlifter in his category. He showed his dominance in the competition by lifting a total of 313 kg. The 28-year-old champion won under the same category in the 2019 Asian Weightlifting Championships.

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But his performance in Tokyo cemented his legacy amongst the greats in the sport. Winning the event is something, but doing it in style at a major sporting event is legendary. On the second attempt of his clean and jerk 172kg lift, Fabin had the bar above his head. To round off his lift, Li stood on one leg. It was an iconic display of strength from the Chinese gold medalist.

Li set the new Olympic record for lifting the most weight in the competition. Not content with just the Olympic record, Fabin Li also tried to break his own world record. Unfortunately, he could not eclipse his effort of 318 kg.

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Three-time Olympic medalist finishes second

While Li grabbed the headlines, Indonesia’s Eko Yuli Irawan competed in his fourth Olympic Games. Despite trying for a world record attempt in the final round, he had to settle for the silver medal with a 302kg combined lift. At 32, the multiple-time Olympic medalist might have taken part in his last games.

Igor Son of Kazakhstan came in third place after putting in a marvelous performance. Igor took the bronze medal with a 294 kg combined lift. The local boy, Yoichi Itokazu, finished fourth after he failed to lift on his last attempt.

The sheer class and determination of weightlifters have to be applauded. Fabin Li is already a legend in his own right, and at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, he became a superstar. What did you make of his showing?

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