All eyes were on Maude Charron, Canada’s flag-bearer at the Paris Games, as she hit the stage on Thursday in the women’s weightlifting final.
Competing in the 59kg category — her new weight class after the 64kg division got axed — the gold medal winner at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics defended her spot on the podium, claiming a silver medal.
The 31-year-old seemed composed throughout, even sipping maple syrup between lifts.
Haltérophilie 🏋️ : Maude Charron 🇨🇦 est une fière Canadienne et boit du sirop d'érable entre ses rondes. @M_Charron28 #Paris2024 #rcsports #halterophilie #jeuxolympiques pic.twitter.com/D6sJBX5j6P
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) August 8, 2024
Things got intense during the snatch round. China’s Luo Shifang dropped a massive 105kg lift, setting a new Olympic record. But Charron wasn’t about to let that slide. With a steady hand, she lifted 106kg, edging out Luo by just a kilo and setting her own Olympic record.
Haltérophilie 🏋️ : Maude Charron 🇨🇦 a réussi à soulever une charge de 106 kg à l'arraché à son troisième essai.@M_Charron28 #Paris2024 #rcsports #halterophilie #jeuxolympiques pic.twitter.com/4ee1LsZdZE
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) August 8, 2024
However, Shifang came back with a 107kg lift, taking the lead (and the record) as they headed into the clean-and-jerk showdown.
Charron’s perfect run came to an end in her final attempt of the day as the Rimouski, Quebec, native struggled on her 132kg lift, nearly injuring herself with the bar.
Haltérophilie 🏋️ : Maude Charron 🇨🇦 ne réussi pas à soulever une charge de 132 kg à l'épaulé-jeté à son troisième et dernier essai. Elle est en excellente position pour une possible médaille.@M_Charron28 #Paris2024 #rcsports #halterophilie #jeuxolympiques pic.twitter.com/bbs9woJ3OS
— Radio-Canada Sports (@RC_Sports) August 8, 2024
Meanwhile, Luo succeeded in her 134kg attempt, securing the gold.
Charron concluded the event with a score of 236 across the snatch and clean-and-jerk, matching her previous Olympic and World Cup totals.
With her hardware added to the mix, Canada’s medal tally in Paris now stands at 20.