American shatters 55-year mark with world record lift

An American 20-year-old has put the world on notice with an astonishing world record lift at the Weightlifting World Cup.

Hampton Morris broke the clean and jerk world record in the 61kg weight class, with a 176kg lift. Remarkably, it was the first time an American set a senior weightlifting world record in the last 55 years.

Coming just 113 days prior to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, the pint sized powerhouse from Marietta, Georgia in the United States’ south-east, has given himself a huge chance of lifting his way to gold.

Speaking after nailing the record lift, Morris told the International Weightlifting Federation he had set himself to break the record.

“I knew the world record was a possibility. My coach (Morris’ father Tripp) told me that if we knew going into the session that I’d made the Olympic team, we’d just have fun,” he said.

While Morris now holds the world record in the 61kg class, he doesn’t yet hold the No.1 ranking, with the incredible feat ensuring he rose from seventh to second, one spot behind Tokyo Olympic Games champion Li Fabin of China.

The World Cup meet, being staged in Thailand, doubles as a compulsory Olympic qualifying event.

The competition continues until April 11, with the rankings in each weight division shifting based on performances at the World Cup.