It’s a déjà vu of sorts for Sarah Robles…
The 33-year-old Mexican American weightlifter has claimed the bronze medal in the women’s +87kg weightlifting competition at the 2020 Tokyo Games, becoming the first U.S. woman to win two Olympic medals in weightlifting.
Robles, known as “the strongest woman in America,” previously won the bronze medal at the 2016 Rio Games, ending a 16-year medal drought in weightlifting at that Olympics.
Robles began the competition in the over-87 kilograms class at the Tokyo International Forum by successfully making all three of her lifts in the clean and jerk. Her final lift of 128 kilograms tied the American record set in 2003 by Olympic medalist Cheryl Haworth.
Robles lifted 154 kilograms on her second attempt in the clean and jerk to give her at total of 282 kilograms. She was unsuccessful in her final attempt at 157 kilograms.
Li Wenwen of China won the gold medal with an Olympic-record total of 320 kilograms. Emily Campbell of Great Britain won the silver medal with a total of 283 kilograms, one more than Robles.
Robles’ medal came one day after her 33rd birthday. She is the oldest U.S. women’s weightlifter to medal at the Olympic Games and the second-oldest U.S. woman to compete in weightlifting at the Olympics.