LIVE Updates: Team USA at IWF Grand Prix I in Havana, Cuba

Team USA is in Cuba for the IWF Grand Prix I, a pivotal qualifier for next summer's Olympic Games in Paris. Keep refreshing this page for live updates from Havana. Watch the competition LIVE here on USAWeightlifting.org. Get Team USA results here.

^{Sunday, June 18}

Team USA capped off the IWF Grand Prix I in Havana, Cuba, with more medals Sunday as this vital Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier came to a close. 

In the morning session, Mary Thiesen-Lappen took home three medals. In the snatch, she made her opener of 115kg then made 119kg on her second. She missed 122kg on her third but secured silver in the lift. Then in the clean & jerk, Thiesen-Lappen made her 155kg opening attempt and 158kg second attempt. She tried to break her clean & jerk record of 164kg with a 165kg lift, but missed, however she scored gold in the lift and gold overall with a 277kg total.
Her teammate, three-time Olympian Sarah Robles, also attempted to break an American Record. After making her 122kg opening snatch, and a good 126kg snatch, Robles attempted 129kg, but came up short. For now, three-time Olympian and Olympic Bronze Medalist Cheryl Haworth continues holds the record of 128kg, set 20 years ago at the 2003 National Championships. Robles did secure gold in snatch with her 126kg second attempt. In the clean & jerk, Robles made her opening 150kg attempt, but then missed 155kg and 157kg, ending the day with bronze in the lift and silver overall with a 276kg total.
Then in the final session of the day, Alejandro Medina and Aaron Williams took the platform for Team USA.
Medina struggled in the competition, only making one lift. He made a 170kg snatch on his second attempt. He missed 170kg as an opener then 176kg on his third attempt. He missed 210kg, 214kg and 221kg in the clean & jerk and did not post a total.
Williams made his opening snatch of 170kg and then 175kg, but missed 180kg on his third. In the clean & jerk, he opened with a good 208kg lift, but missed 214kg on his second attempt. Williams made 215kg for a 390kg total putting him in 4th place overall.

Team USA women dominated the competition, taking home the first place team honors. They also ended the competition at the top of the medal table with 20: 8 gold, 6 silver, and 6 bronze. Team USA men finished second in the team competition behind the host country Cuba. Team USA men finished third in the medal count with 11: 3 gold, 6 silver, and 2 bronze medals. 

Check out the full results book here.

Saturday, June 17

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Wes Kitts added his name to the American Record books Friday at the IWF Grand Prix I at Havana, Cuba. In the 102kg A session, Kitts set American Records in Snatch with a 177kg third attempt and a 388kg total. Both beat the American Record Standard in the bodyweight category set after the bodyweight category reassignment in 2016. In the snatch, Kitts missed his 172kg opener, but made it on his second attempt, then set the American Record with a good 177kg third attempt, earning silver.

In the clean & jerk, Kitts made his 204kg opener, then missed 211 on his second attempt. He came back to make 211kg on his third attempt for silver. His 388kg total earned silver overall.

Also in the 102kg session, Ryan Sester missed his 166kg opening snatch attempt and 167kg snatch attempt. He then withdrew from the competition.

Earlier in the day, Tokyo 2020 Olympian Mattie Rogers put up a 248kg total in the women's 81kg A session. In snatch, Rogers missed 110kg on her first attempt but made it on her second. She didn't make a third attempt. In the clean & jerk, Rogers made her opening 138kg lift, but missed 142kg and 143kg. 

Saturday is an off day for Team USA before the final three athletes lift on Sunday. Hitting the platform for Team USA Mary Theisen-Lappen and three-time Olympian Sarah Robles lift in the first session of the day, the women's 87kg A. Then Aaron Williams and Alejandro Medina lift in the final session of this Paris 2024 Qualifier, the +109kg A.

Watch the competition LIVE here on USAWeightlifting.org. 

Thursday, June 14

It was Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist Kate Vibert's turn to take platform Thursday at the IWF Grand Prix I, a Paris 2024 Olympic Qualifier, in Havana, Cuba.

Vibert, lifting in the 71kg A session, made her first two snatch attempts at 107kg and 110kg. She missed 113kg, but still took silver in the lift. And was 1kg off her best snatch at the Tokyo Games.

It was a nail-biter, however, in the clean & jerk portion of the competition. After missing 136kg on her first and second attempt, Vibert made 137kg on her third attempt, also 1kg less than her best clean & jerk in Tokyo. No harm, no foul, that was good enough for gold in the lift and gold overall with a 247kg total. 

Friday features three Team USA athletes competing in Cuba.

Tokyo 2020 Olympian Mattie Rogers lifts in the women's 81kg A session. Then, her Tokyo 2020 Olympic teammate, Wes Kitts, lifts in the men's 102kg A session with Ryan Sester. 

Watch the competition LIVE here on USAWeightlifting.org. 

Wednesday, June 14

Team USA returned to the platform--and the podium-- Wednesday as the IWF Grand Prix I marched on in Havana, Cuba. 

Nathan Damron claimed the first medals of the day for Team USA in the men's 89kg A session. 

In the snatch, Damron missed his first two attempts--163kg and 164kg-- before making his third, at 165kg to claim bronze in the lift.

In the clean & jerk, Damron made 200kg on his second attempt for silver, after missing his opening attempt at 197kg. He nearly hung on for an American Record 210kg third attempt, but came up short.

His 365kg total gave him silver overall. 

Earlier, in the first session of the day, CJ Cummings struggled to show his best, as he looked to qualify for a second consecutive Olympic Games. In the men's 89kg B session, Cummings made his opening snatch of 143kg. After pressing out his 148kg second attempt, it appeared Cummings made his third attempt of 153kg. However, the Jury stopped the competition, overruling the referees' good lift decision and ruling the lift a press out. 

In the clean & jerk, Cummings made his opening 190kg lift, but just missing the jerks on his second and third attempts, both at 190kg.

In the women's 71kg A session, Olivia Reeves swept bronze. In snatch, she made 104kg, then 108kg, but missed 110kg on her third attempt. In the clean & jerk, Reeves made her opening attempt at 133kg, but missed 141kg on her second and third attempts. Her 241kg total put her in the bronze medal position.

Teammate Meredith Alwine struggled in Havana. She missed her opening snatch of 105kg, then missed 107kg on her second and third attempts. She withdrew from the competition.

One athlete lifts Friday. Tokyo 2020 Olympic Silver Medalist Kate Vibert lifts in the women's 76kg A session at 6PM Eastern. Watch the competition LIVE here on USAWeightlifting.org.