SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic (April 19, 2021) -- Team USA returns to the platform at this week’s rescheduled 2020 Pan American Championships, a final stop for many of USA Weightlifting’s Olympic hopefuls on their road to qualifying for the Tokyo Games.

Cicely Kyle kicked off the competition Monday in the 45kg category, sweeping gold and winning her first Pan American title at her first Pan American event. Kyle’s 96kg clean and jerk is a new American record in the lift.

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After missing her opening Snatch attempt at 68kg, she came back to make that weight on her second attempt. She hit a 70kg Snatch on her 3rd attempt to secure the gold medal in the lift.

“I was cramping a little at first,” Kyle said of her opening attempt. “70kg isn’t what I’d planned, but it’s all I needed.”

Kyle went on to go three for three in the clean and jerk portion of the competition, securing gold in the lift and total with her first attempt of 88kg. She made 91kg on her second attempt, before jumping to 96kg to set the American record in the clean and jerk.

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She is a masters athlete from Pensacola, FL. She trains with Power and Grace Performance in Atlanta, GA. This is her second competition representing Team USA. Kyle made her international debut at 36-years-old at the Roma World Cup in January of 2020.

Lifting for Team USA on Tuesday are a pair of 49kg lifters, Tokyo hopeful Jourdan Delacruz and Hayley Reichardt. Later in the day Taylor Wilkins lifts in the women's 59kg category.

Kyle Sweeps Gold as Team USA Takes on Pan Am Championships

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