Hampton Morris: 20-Year-Old Weightlifting Phenom’s Journey to Bringing Home a Medal and Securing His Spot in the Paris Olympics
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Hampton Morris’ name is making rounds of the internet because he is a 20-year-old phenom loaded with exceptional talent. Since age 10, his weightlifting passion has been burning. And now, the flame reached the ceiling when he cemented his position in the records book. At the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation World Cup in Phuket, the 3x Pan-Am Championships gold medalist drew one step closer to his Olympic dream. But how was his performance class apart?
Weighing just 135 lbs (61 kg) or under, Morris did the impossible by lifting almost three times his weight, 388 lbs (176 kg). With this feat, he smashed the clean-and-jerk world record, which was long-standing since 1969. A sport that is not dominated by the US athletes has a new name to sing praises of. Let’s take a look at his history-making moves.
Hampton Morris: New star on nation’s weightlifting horizon
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At the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships men’s 61 kg, the 20-year-old became the first US man to secure a gold at the Worlds since 1972. Clean and jerk being his forte, Morris lived up to his and the nation’s expectations and rather went beyond. WR holder in both the junior and senior levels, Morris made it to the pole in three consecutive Pan-Am Championships (2021, 2022, and 2023). At the 2022 Junior World Weightlifting Championships, he set the junior world record in clean and jerk, lifting 160 kgs.
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At the 2022 Pan American Weightlifting Championships, Hampton Morris broke his previously set record by lifting 162 kgs. More confetti when he bettered his record to 163kg at the Junior Championships, thus giving a hint of what he can bring to the table. Initially a soccer geek, Morris slowly deviated to weightlifting, only to be the top seed at the Olympics. But who’s responsible for polishing him so well?
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Morris’ father plays two roles at the same time
The Marietta native has attained the ultimate glory and there’s only one person who takes the credit, Tripp Morris. The one who crossed the mountains to take his son to the peak has no formal training himself. Despite that, he moved his family to a new home and built a gym out of his garage. About this, Morris said, “My dad coached me from the very beginning. He’s sacrificed just as much as I have towards my dream.”
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The gym that the 20-year-old trains at has all the equipment needed to refine skills at its best. No doubt that Tripp has left no stone unturned. Tripp doesn’t come with a coaching background, but his son’s words clear the air. “I wouldn’t be able to be as successful as I have been if he wasn’t a tough coach and if he didn’t hold me to a high standard”. It’s just a matter of 115 days now.
Written by:
Edited by:
Bhujaya Ray Chowdhury