Maude Charron has won another medal for Canada in Olympic weightlifting, this time silver in the women’s 59-kg category on Thursday.
It is Canada’s 20th medal at Paris 2024.
Charron won gold in Tokyo at 64 kg but had to move down to 59 kg after her weight class was removed from the schedule. She captured bronze in the 59-kg weight class at the 2023 World Championships.
Charron, who was Canada’s flag-bearer at the opening ceremony alongside sprinter Andre De Grasse, said competing in front of a roaring crowd in Paris made this feel much better after the fanless, COVID Olympics of Tokyo three years ago.
“It’s wonderful just hearing the crowd and seeing my family there, seeing Canadian flags in the crowd,” she told CBC Olympics. “It’s so different from my experience in Tokyo and it (means) so much more no matter the colour of the medal. It’s just so much more value for me … Just really, really relieved and happy.”
Charron’s first attempt in the snatch portion was successful at 101 kg after the Canadian needed a couple of steps to get her footing. She then easily completed her other two lifts at 104 kg and 106 kg.
The Sainte-Luce, Que., native sat behind Luo Shifang of China after the snatch portion, where she completed an Olympic record with a lift of 107 kg. The world record in the snatch category is 111 kg by Korean weightlifter Kim Il Gyong.
In her first attempt during the clean and jerk, Charron started off at 126 kg and then completed the 130-kg lift. Unfortunately, she could not complete her third attempt at 132 kg and finished with a final score of 236.
Charron won gold in Tokyo at 64 kg but had to move down to 59 kg after her weight class was removed from the schedule. She captured bronze in the 59-kg weight class at the 2023 World Championships.