Hampton Morris breaks decades long gold medal drought for TeamUSA men

September 6, 2023 (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia) – Hampton Morris became the first American male in lifter in decades to win a gold medal at the Weightlifting World Championships Wednesday, taking the top spot on the podium in the 61kg category for a 168kg clean and jerk that also set the Junior American Record in the lift. 

Morris made the 168kg lift on his third clean and jerk attempt after missing it on his second. He made his first attempt at 163kg. The lift also reset his own junior and senior American records in the lift, previously 166kg. Morris struggled in the snatch portion of the competition, attempting but missing 123kg three times.

“I knew that I’d have a shot at something in the clean and jerks,” Morris told USA Weightlifting after the competition. “I felt confident I could make whatever I needed to.”

Rick Holbrook’s 1972 clean and jerk earned him a gold medal in the lift in 1972, the last time an American lifter won gold at a senior world championships. Mario Martinez's snatch won at the Olympics in 1984, (a boycotted Games that was also considered the world championships that year) but no medal was given. More recently, Wes Barnett won a silver medal in the clean and jerk at the 1997 world championships and Harrison Maurus took bronze in the lift and total in 2017. 

Danielle Gunnin and Taylor Wilkins are next to represent Team USA on Friday afternoon in the 59kg A session in Riyadh.