Hampton Morris is currently USA’s greatest male Olympic Weightlifting athlete, which he proved during his recent performance at the 2024 European Weightlifting Championships. Hampton was not eligible to win the competition due to being from a different continent, but he still put on a show and broke three U61KG American Records in both the Open and Junior age classes.
Snatch
The first event that Hampton Morris took on was the snatch. He opened up with a 122-kilogram (269-pound) lift, but was not able to successfully lift it. So, starting off with an unsuccessful attempt definitely did not seem promising.
However, on his second attempt, Hampton Morris crushed the same weight of 122 kilograms (269 pounds) and even proved that he had plenty more left in the tank. So, on his final attempt, Hampton Morris managed to snatch 126 kilograms (277.8 pounds), which marked new U61KG American Records in the Open and Junior age divisions.
*The previous U61KG American Open Record holder was Gabe Chhum, who snatched 125-kg (275.6-lb) at the 2023 North American Open Finals.
- Unsuccessful — 122 kilograms (269 pounds)
- 122 kilograms (269 pounds)
- 126 kilograms (277.8 pounds) — U61KG American Open & Junior Record
Clean & Jerk
Having already set some records on the snatch, Hampton Morris carried the momentum to the Clean & Jerk as well. He started off with his first attempt of 168 kilograms (370.4 pounds), which went up easily and boosted his confidence for the remaining two lifts.
The second attempt that Hampton Morris took on the Clean & Jerk came out to 171 kilograms (377 pounds), which ultimately ended up being his best one as well. It marked a new American Record and helped him exceed the Total Record as well.
Hampton Morris Clean & Jerked 173 kilograms (381.4 pounds) for his final attempt, but the lift was unfortunately invalidated by the jury. So, his second attempt was his best one when it comes to the Clean & Jerk.
*The previous U61KG American Open Clean & Jerk Record holder was actually Hampton Morris, having locked out 170-kg (174.8-lb) at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix.
- 168 kilograms (370.4 pounds)
- 171 kilograms (377 pounds) — U61KG American Open & Junior Record
- Unsuccessful — 173 kilograms (381.4 pounds)
Total — 297 kilograms (654.8 pounds) — U61KG American Open & Junior Record
*The American Open Total Record stood at 292-kg (643.7-lb), which Hampton Morris set at the 2023 IWF Grand Prix.
Watch Hampton Morris’ lifts on slides two and three of the Instagram post below:
Hampton Morris is without a doubt one of the USA’s top picks for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which will take place in August. So, he still has some more time to prepare to potentially battle for the medal at the most prestigious competition in the world. His current form proves that even a gold medal at the Olympics could be a realistic goal for him.
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