Earlier this year, in April, Chinese weightlifter Shi Zhiyong repeatedly collapsed during a routine preparatory workout ahead of the IWF World Cup. Four months later on Aug. 8 during the 2024 Olympics, the two-time Olympic Champion very narrowly missed a third gold medal.
Since his commanding victory in Tokyo three years prior, China’s viciously-talented 73-kilogram’er has battled a series of ailments, in particular a back injury that has left him in near-constant pain since 2021.
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Yet Zhiyong was selected as one of the six weightlifters on Team China in Paris; the only country to field a full roster at this Games.
- No other nation had six or more eligible weightlifting athletes, the maximum number permitted by the International Olympic Committee.
Despite having two Olympic titles to his name (2016, 2020) it was far from certain if Zhiyong could deliver another medal-winning performance. China gambled on him after he strung together a strong series of lifts at the last-chance qualifying Cup. Halfway through the 73-kilogram event, it appeared that Team China’s gamble was paying off.
Shi Zhiyong 2024 Olympics
Zhiyong told BarBend during the World Cup that he lifted as though it were “the last international event of my career.” It might’ve been, but he was plucked to perform against Indonesia’s powerhouse and presumptive gold medalist Rizki Juniansyah.
When the two met on stage for the snatches, Juniansyah floundered while Zhiyong flew. Come the intermission, Zhiyong was ahead by 10 kilograms; 165 kilograms to Indonesia’s 155.
Men’s 73-Kilogram | Snatch
- Shi Zhiyong (CHN): 161, 165, 168x
- Rizki Juniansyah (INA): 155x, 155, 162x
It appeared as though Zhiyong had found his footing and made a true return to form after his long hiatus from the lifting platform. But during the clean & jerks, things went sideways — fast.
[See It All: Men’s 73KG Weightlifting Results & Recap]
Men’s 73-Kilogram | Clean & Jerk
- Shi Zhiyong (CHN): 191x, 191x, 191x
- Rizki Juniansyah (INA): 191, 199
Historically, Zhiyong had performed well with the high-risk, high-reward squat jerk. He’d made 67% of his clean & jerks on the Olympic stage prior to Paris, and had a double-digit lead on Juniansyah, who wasn’t displaying the same level of conviction he showed at the World Cup.
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But when push came to shove, Zhiyong fumbled the bag, missing 191 kilograms thrice in a row — seven kilograms below his existing Olympic record, which Juniansyah swept away by jerking 199 kilograms to win the gold medal. Having failed to post a Total, Zhiyong was ranked last.
Trivia: Zhiyong made his official comeback to international weightlifting in the tail end of 2023. He suffered his first defeat, ever, at the IWF Grand Prix II to a Latvian weightlifter named Ritvars Suharevs.
They met again in Paris, where Surharevs withdrew early on due to a shoulder injury. Prior to the Prix, Zhiyong had been out of commission for over 800 days.
Will Shi Zhiyong Retire From Weightlifting?
Since his win in Rio de Janeiro eight years ago, Zhiyong has become a fan-favorite athlete in the world of weightlifting. He’s known for his incredible strength and power, as well as maintaining an unblemished international record for 11 years (2012 – 2023).
But his calling card is the signature howl he lets out every time he breaks a barbell off the ground and sends it soaring overhead.
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Zhiyong may elect to hang up his lifting belt after his abrupt defeat in Paris. He’s an avid fisherman and has won more weightlifting medals for his country than most.
- However, Zhiyong is also a two-time winner of the National Games of China, a multi-sport event similar to the Olympics. The next event will take place in a little over a year. If Zhiyong is known for anything, it’s that he doesn’t like to lose.
Nothing is certain, but China’s loudest and winningest middleweight weightlifter of the 2010s might not be ready to unlace his lifting shoes just yet.
More Weightlifting at the 2024 Olympics
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Featured Image: Weightlifting House / YouTube
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