Reeves made the most of her Worlds debut.
Written by Robert Zeglinski
In what would be a productive year for any weightlifter, American competitor Olivia Reeves has certainly started to resemble a potential weightlifting superstar. After already setting a clean & jerk record (138 kilograms/304.2 pounds) at the 2022 USA Weightlifting (USAW) National Championships — a Senior American Record in the 71-kilogram division — Reeves wasn’t done. The 19-year-old athlete wanted another resounding result at the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Weightlifting Championships (WWC). On the Bogotá, Colombia, lifting platform, she didn’t disappoint in her Senior Worlds debut.
On Dec. 12, 2022, Reeves captured a clean & jerk bronze medal during the 2022 edition of the WWC. She earned the result thanks to a successful clean & jerk of 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds). The strength feat officially surpasses Reeves’ all-time competition best — that 71-kilogram Senior American Record of 138 kilograms (304.2 pounds) from the 2022 USAW Championships. It is the first Senior Worlds medal of any color in Reeves’ young career and the first medal for Team USA at the 2022 IWF Worlds at the time of this writing.
In addition to her bronze medal, Reeves’ mark is also only two kilograms short of the Junior World Record, held by Egypt’s Sara Ahmed (141 kilograms/310.8 pounds) in 2018. With an eventual top snatch of 106 kilograms, Reeves pieced together a 245-kilogram (540.1-pound) total to cap a solid fifth-place performance at her Worlds debut.
Here’s an overview of Reeves’ performance at the 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
Olivia Reeves (71KG) | 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships Top Stats
- Clean & Jerk — 139 kilograms (306.4 pounds) | IWF Worlds 71KG Bronze Medal | All-Time Competition Best | Matches Senior American Record
- Snatch — 106 kilograms (233.7 pounds)
- Total — 245 kilograms (540.1 pounds) | All-Time Competition Best
As for the overall Women’s 71-kilogram podium — a relatively new international category that will be part of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games — now two-time World Champion Loredana Elena Toma (2017, 2022) set the bar for her peers. Here’s a rundown of the Women’s 71-kilogram podium at the 2022 2022 IWF World Weightlifting Championships:
IWF World Weightlifting Championships | Women’s 71-Kilogram Podium
- First place — Loredana Elena Toma (Romania): 256-kilogram total | 119-kilogram (262.3-pound) snatch | 137-kilogram (302-pound) clean & jerk
- Second place — Zeng Tiantian (China): 253-kilogram total | 113-kilogram (241.1-pound) snatch | 140-kilogram (308.6-pound) clean & jerk
- Third place — Angie Palacios Dajomes (Ecuador): 252-kilogram total | 116-kilogram (255.7-pound) snatch | 136-kilogram (299.8-pound) clean & jerk
While her next competition is unclear, Reeves will undoubtedly try to parlay her first Senior Worlds medal and overall stellar 2022 into qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Such a class for Team USA could feature Reeves and 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games silver medalist (76KG) Kate Vibert. Whoever comes out, the American team may have a dynamo under sports’ biggest international spotlight.
Featured image: William Johnson/@barbellstories on Instagram
About Robert Zeglinski
Robert is a seasoned and adept editor and writer with a keen, passionate penchant for the writing craft. He’s been a leader in newsrooms such as SB Nation, USA TODAY, and WBBM Newsradio, with various other content and art production teams, and first made a name for himself in his hometown of Chicago. When not knee-deep in research or lost in a stream of consciousness for a thorough piece, you can find Robert inhaling yet another novel, journaling his heart out, or playing with his Shiba Inu, Maximus (Max, for short).