Sarah Robles becomes first U.S. woman to win 2 Olympic weightlifting medals

TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 02: Sarah Elizabeth Robles of Team United States competes during the Weightlifting - Women's 87kg+ Group A on day ten of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo International Forum on August 02, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (Chris Graythen, 2021 Getty Images)

TOKYO – Houstonian Sarah Robles made history Monday by becoming the first U.S. woman to win two Olympic weightlifting medals when she claimed bronze at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

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Competing in the Tokyo International Forum in the women’s +87kg, Robles went three-for-three in the Snatch. Her final lift of 128kg tied the American record set by Olympic medalist Cheryl Haworth in 2003, according to USA Weightlifting.

TOKYO, JAPAN - AUGUST 02: Bronze medalist Sarah Elizabeth Robles of Team United States poses with the bronze medal during the medal ceremony for the Weightlifting - Women's 87kg+ Group A on day ten of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Tokyo International Forum on August 02, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images) (2021 Getty Images)

Robles lifted 154kg on her second Clean and Jerk attempt. Her total of 282kg sealed the Olympic bronze, her second consecutive after also earning that medal five years ago at the Olympic Games Rio 2016. That medal was the first by an American in the sport in 16 years. She also made history the following year by sweeping the Snatch, Clean and Jerk and total medals at the 2017 IWF World Championships, becoming the first U.S. world champion in the sport in 23 years.

Combined with Kate Nye’s silver medal earned Sunday in the women’s 76kg, this is the first time USA Weightlifting has earned two medals at an Olympic Games in 21 years, USA Weightlifting says. This is also the first time the U.S. has medaled in weightlifting at consecutive Olympic Games in 53 years. The previous time was in 1964 and 1968, USA Weightlifting said in a news release.


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