Now Reading
African Weightlifting Contenders at the 2024 Paris Olympics: A Comprehensive Preview

African Weightlifting Contenders at the 2024 Paris Olympics: A Comprehensive Preview

Weightlifting cover photo

In Olympic weightlifting, athletes compete based on weight classes and then by sex. This ensures that lifters of similar body weights compete against individuals with comparable abilities.

By Tuka Letura 

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, 57 nations from around the globe will be competing for medals in both men’s and women’s weightlifting categories. Among these competitors are 11 athletes representing six African countries.

Egypt, a five-time Olympic gold medal-winning nation in weightlifting, leads the African contingent with five representatives. Nigeria follows with two athletes, while Algeria, Libya, Madagascar, and Tunisia each have one representative.

In Olympic weightlifting, athletes compete based on weight classes and then by sex. This ensures that lifters of similar body weights compete against individuals with comparable abilities.

On June 14, 2022, the International Weightlifting Federation announced new weight categories for Paris 2024, reducing the total number of medal events from fourteen to ten. There are now ten weight classes: five for men (61 kg, 73 kg, 89 kg, 102 kg, and +102 kg) and five for women (49 kg, 59 kg, 71 kg, 81 kg, and +81 kg). Notably, the 61 kg and 73 kg categories for men, as well as the 49 kg and 59 kg categories for women, remain from Tokyo 2020. 

No African athlete is registered for the men’s 61kg weight class. However, Tunisia’s Karem Ben Hnia is competing in the 73kg class. Hnia, who qualified for the Paris Olympics, picked up three gold medals at the African Weightlifting Championships held in Egypt.

Karem Ben Hnia, Tunisia's Weightlifting representative at the Paris Olympics
Karem Ben Hnia, Tunisias Weightlifting representative at the Paris Olympics

He picked up gold medals at the 2019 African Games in Rabat, Morocco. Then, he finished 6th in the Men’s 73kg at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, his best tally at the prestigious event. Hnia isn’t new to Olympic weightlifting, regardless of the changes in classes, as he also competed at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

This is potentially his last Olympic appearance, and that, coupled with being Tunisia’s sole representative in weightlifting, could spur him on to exceed his previous peak and win an Olympic medal.

The 2023 World Weightlifting Championships gold medallist, Karim Abokahla, is competing in the 96kg weight class at these Olympics. However, he could potentially replicate his 2023 success in Paris, where he will be stepping up to the 89kg class.

Karim Abokahla
Karim Abokahla

In what promises to be a keenly contested class, he is set to compete alongside Keydomar Vallenilla, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medallist in the 89kg weight class, and Mirmostafa Javadi, the 2023 World Championships gold medallist in the same category, among other formidable contenders.

Ahmed Abuzriba, who won three gold medals in the 96kg division at the 2021 African Weightlifting Championships and a bronze medal at the World Powerlifting Championships in June 2024, will fly the flag for Libya in the 102kg weight class.

Ahmed Abuzriba
Ahmed Abuzriba

He is the only African in the 102kg class but will face strong competition from two Olympic gold medallists: Akbar Djuraev of Uzbekistan, who was the champion in this category at the Tokyo Olympics, and Fares El-Bakh, who won gold in the 96kg class in Tokyo as well.

Olympic veteran Walid Bidani, who will be making his third appearance at the Games, will represent Algeria in the Men’s 102+kg class. The seven-time African Championship gold medallist is joined by another veteran, Abdelrahman El-Sayed of Egypt, who made his Olympic debut in 2008.

They will face stiff competition from Lasha Talakhadze of Georgia, the current Olympic champion in this category, who has won gold in the last two editions of the Games. Also in the lineup are Ali Davoudi of Iran and Man Asaad of Syria, who finished with silver and bronze, respectively, at Tokyo 2020.

In women’s weightlifting, 25-year-old Rosina Randafiarison will represent Madagascar in the 49kg class as one of seven athletes from her country at the Games.

Despite securing 16 continental and regional gold medals in 2019, and continuing her success with a gold medal at the 2021 African Weightlifting Championships, Rosina faces tough competition. She will compete alongside all three podium finishers from the last Olympics: Hou Zhihui, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Windy Cantika Aisah. It will be a tough battle in her quest for a medal, considering Mozambique has never won one at the Olympics.

Reigning 59kg Commonwealth Games gold medallist Rafiatu Lawal of Nigeria is poised to continue her winning ways. The 29-year-old won a gold medal earlier this year at the African Games in Accra. Like everyone else, the competition is just tough. Among her competitors is China’s Kuo Hsing-chun, the Tokyo Olympics gold medallist, along with other top athletes. Lawal is one of Nigeria’s two representatives in weightlifting.

Rafiatu Lawal, Nigeria's Weightlifting representative at the Paris Olympics
Rafiatu Lawal, Nigeria’s Weightlifting representative at the Paris Olympics

The other is Joy Ogbonne Eze, who will be joined by Neama Said of Egypt. Both Said and Eze have medalled at the African Games but are making their Olympic debuts in Paris. The stage may be shared, but each athlete is looking to claim the ultimate prize for themselves and their nations.

Joy Ogbonne Eze
Joy Ogbonne Eze

The final two representatives of African nations are Sara Ahmed in the 81kg class and Halima Abbas in the 81kg+ class of Egypt.

Sara started competing internationally in 2012 and has also won gold at the Mediterranean, African Games, and Arab Championships. She won bronze in the women’s 69kg at the 2016 Rio Olympics and gold in the women’s 76kg at the 2022 World Championships in Bogotá, cementing her status as a legend in her own right, being the first Arab woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal and the first Egyptian woman to achieve an Olympic podium finish in any discipline.

Sara Ahmed
Sara Ahmed

For Abbas, being a nine-time African Championships gold medallist, with three gold medals in each of her three appearances, is enough to show she can go even further. At the 2019 African Championships in Cairo, she set an area record with a snatch of 120kg.

See Also
Finidi George, a new NPFL manager

Olympic Weightlifting Explainer. 

The goal in Olympic weightlifting is to lift the maximum combined weight across two lifts: the snatch and the clean and jerk.

The Snatch involves lifting the barbell from the ground to overhead in one continuous motion, using a wide grip. Lifters often squat to complete the lift.

The Clean and Jerk is a two-stage lift: first, lifting the barbell from the ground to the shoulders (clean), and then from the shoulders to overhead (jerk). A narrower grip and a forward lunge can aid in this lift.

Competitors have three attempts for each lift. A buzzer sounds when a lift is completed, and three judges decide if it’s successful with white (good) or red (failed) lights. At least two white lights are required for the lift to count. The lifter with the highest combined weight from both lifts wins.

Lifters must carefully plan their attempts, as failing all three attempts in one lift results in disqualification from the event. The lifting order is based on the weight nominated, with the lightest weight attempted first. In the event of a tie, the lighter lifter wins, or if body weights are the same, the lifter who achieved the weight first or in fewer attempts is declared the winner.

2024 Paris Olympics Weightlifting Schedule 

7 August

  • Women’s 49kg: Rosina Randafiarison (Madagascar)

8 August

  • Women’s 59kg: Rafiatu Lawal (Nigeria)
  • Men’s 73kg: Karem Ben Hnia (Tunisia)

9 August

  • Men’s 89kg: Karim Abokahla (Egypt)
  • Women’s 71kg: Joy Ogbonne Eze (Nigeria), Neama Said (Egypt)

10 August

  • Men’s 102kg: Ahmed Abuzriba (Libya)
  • Women’s 81kg: Sara Ahmed (Egypt)
  • Men’s +102kg: Abdelrahman El-Sayed (Egypt), Walid Bidani (Algeria)

Tuka Letura is an experienced sports writer with over five years of experience in the craft. He uses data and statistics to provide analysis and commentary. From regional to worldwide competitions, he has covered a wide range of sports-related events and topics. He is devoted to sharing his enthusiasm for sports with his audience and engaging them with interesting anecdotes and viewpoints.

What's Your Reaction?
Excited
0
Happy
0
In Love
0
Not Sure
0
Silly
0

© 2024 Afrocritik.com. All Rights Reserved.

Scroll To Top