Pan-American Weightlifting Championships 2023 Results

Pan-American Championships 2023 contents are as essential as other Paris 2024 Qualifying events, i.e., European Championships in Yerevan, Asian Championships in Jinju, African Championships in Tunis, IWF Grand Prix I in Havana, IWF World Championships in Riyadh, Pacific Games+Oceania Senior Championships in Honiara, and IWF Grand Prix II in Doha.

What is it?

Pan-Am Championships is one of the Qualifying events among other competitions that enable athletes to qualify for the Olympic Games in Paris 2024. It’s organized by the Argentine Weightlifting Federation, with the endorsement of the International Weightlifting Federation and the Pan-American Weightlifting Federation

This is an Olympic Qualification Event that was held in San Carlos de Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina, from March 25th to April 2nd, 2023. It was full of impressive and unexpected lifts, giving athletes opportunities to improve their chances for Olympic qualification. 

An interesting fact is that the Colombian team opted out of competing at this Pan-Ams because of the financial dispute with the Argentinian federation.

General Review

This continental competition presented us with incredible results of the supposed leaders who exceeded our expectations, breaking new world records, and showed athletes who were at their best form and performance for qualifying for the Paris Games. We can admit that the major leadership was taken by Ecuadorian, Mexican, Colombian, American, and Canadian lifters who did a great battle to define the strongest nation. Also, we discovered new promising lifters who were competing equally with the old-timer famous athletes.

Final Stats

Men’s results

At this Pan Ams, the American team took domination over the competition by winning at six weight divisions, 61 kg, 73 kg, 96 kg, 102 kg, 109 kg, and +109 kg. Young and promising Hampton Morris in the 61 kg category clinched three golds and Ryan Grimsland also took three gold medals at his weight class of 73 kg. While Nathan Damron (96 kg), Ryan Sester (102 kg), and Wesley Kitts (109 kg) managed to gain two golds in their totals and Snatch or C&J exercise separately. The super heavyweight division of 109+ kg ended with the American double win: Alejandro Medina was a gold medalist and his teammate Caine Wilkes got silver in total.

Nevertheless, Venezuela, Ecuador, and Mexico didn’t give up and took winning places at the podium as well. Keydomar Vallenilla from Venezuela surpassed his rivals in the weight category of 89 kg by getting three golds. By the way, he’s the current Pan-American world record holder in C&J of 212 kg.

So, let’s observe the final stats of the Men’s divisions competition:

55 kg

• José Poox (MEX) — 103-130-233 
• Johny Arteaga (ECU) — 102-126-228
• Howard Roche (PRI) — 100-126-226

61 kg

• Hampton Morris (USA) — 123-158-281
• Arley Calderón (CUB) — 120-155-275
• Luis Bardalez (PER) — 121-150-271

67 kg

• Orlando Vásquez (NIC) — 125-154-279
• Vicente Montoya (MEX) — 121-147-268
• Mateo Renteria (PER) — 116-146-262

73 kg

• Julio Mayora (VEN) — 148-184-332
• Ryan Grimsland (USA) — 141-182-323
• Jorge Cárdenas (MEX) — 140-170-310

81 kg

• Darvin Castro (VEN) — 144-180-324
• Dante Pizzuti (ARG) — 142-175-317
• Samuel Guertin (CAN) — 140-170-310

89 kg

• Keydomar Vallenilla (VEN) — 167-212-379
• Olfides Sáez (CUB) — 160-195-355
• Alex Bellemarre (CAN) — 166-188-354

96 kg

• Nathan Damron (USA) — 150-190-340
• Jonathan Ramos (MEX) — 147-190-337
• Wilmer Contreras (ECU) — 148-186-334

102 kg

• Ryan Sester (USA) — 165-207-372
• Marco Machado (BRA) — 166-194-360
• Luis Lamenza (PRI) — 161-187-348

109 kg

• Wesley Kitts (USA) — 165-200-365
• Josué Medina (MEX) — 162-201-363
• Hernán Viera (PER) — 142-195-337

+109 kg

• Alejandro Medina (USA) — 173-212-385 
• Caine Wilkes (USA) — 172-212-384 
• Dixon Arroyo (ECU) — 174-200-374 

Women’s results

To be short, Ecuadorian women took the lead at Pan Ams this time: literally, they stood on at least one podium slot starting from the 71 kg with Angie Dajomes Palacios gold win, to 87 kg weight categories. Meanwhile, the American and Canadian lifters prevailed in the lightweight divisions of 49 kg, 59kg, and 71 kg.

Overall, we can confirm that the Women’s weight classes of 49 kg, 71 kg, 81 kg, and 87 kg were the most powerful and competitive.

45 kg

• Rosielis Quintana (VEN) — 71-89-160
• Maria Barco (MEX) — 69-88-157
• Not awarded

49 kg

• Jourdan Delacruz (USA) — 86-112-198
• Hayley Reichardt (USA) — 86-111-197 
• Yesica Hernández (MEX) — 81-101-182 

55 kg

• Shoely Mego (PER) — 85-107-192
• Josée Gallant (CAN) — 84-105-189 
• Jennifer Hernández (ECU) — 81-106-187 

59 kg

• Maude Charron (CAN) — 101-124-225
• Danielle Gunnin (USA) — 100-120-220
• Daphne Guillén (MEX) — 95-122-217 

64 kg

• Tatiana Ullua (ARG) — 92-111-203 
• Sema Ludrick (NIC) — 88-110-198
• Nadia Yangui (CAN) — 86-107-193

71 kg

• Angie Palacios Dajomes (ECU) — 111-137-248
• Kate Vibert (USA) — 110-138-248
• Olivia Reeves (USA) — 108-139-247

76 kg

• Meredith Alwine (USA) — 102-136-238 
• Bella Paredes (ECU) — 105-132-237
• Kelin Jiménez (ECU) — 105-130-235

81 kg

• Neisi Dajomes (ECU) — 115-141-256
• Ayamey Medina (CUB) — 113-141-254
• Tamara Salazar (ECU) — 110-143-253 

87 kg

• Dayana Mina (ECU) — 100-133-233
• Laura Jiménez (MEX) — 97-121-218 
• Cecilia Rodriguez (URY) — 92-105-197

+87 kg

• Mary Theisen-Lappen (USA) — 114-158-272
• Sarah Robles (USA) — 120-151-271
• Naryury Pérez (VEN) — 111-145-256

Highlights about Athletes and World Record Recap

In this block, we’ll describe the greatest achievements of the most outstanding athletes and prospective leaders who succeeded in getting a medal in their weight category. Also, we’ll mention what records were set at these Pan Ams.

Hampton Morris (61 kg division)

A 19-year-old American weightlifter is becoming a true hope and prodigy for the US team as he’s already gained superb accomplishments. He’s a three-time gold medalist in the 61 kg weight division of the Pan-American Championships in 2021, 2022, and 2023. At the Pan-Ams in Argentina, Morris took three golds with a total of 123-158-281.

Keydomar Vallenilla (89 kg division)

He was believed to be the most dominant male athlete at the Pan American championships.  A Tokyo silver medalist won the gold medal in the men’s 89 kg division at the World Weightlifting Championships held in Bogotá in 2022.

He also set a new Pan-American record in Clean & Jerk which was better than the prior AM made by Brayan Rodallegas from Colombia who lifted 210 kg in C&J in Bogota in 2022. At this Championship in Argentina, Vallenilla won the gold medal in the Snatch and Clean & Jerk events: 167 kg and 212 kg respectively. Moreover, the latter result became the C&J World Record.

Jourdan Delacruz (49 kg)

Competing in the 49 kg weight class, American Delacruz won silver at the Pan American Weightlifting Championships held in Bogota in 2022. She also took gold in C&J in this competition, but finished in 7th place at this Championship. This time, Jourdan won three golds in this Pan Am contest in Bariloche and set a Pan-American World Record in Clean&Jerk of 112 kg.

Angie Palacios Dajomes (71 kg)

Angie Palacios from Ecuador saved gold in the Women’s 71 kg weight class at the 2023 Pan American Weightlifting Championships held in Bariloche, with a Snatch of 111 kg and a total of 248 kg, with the bronze in C&J. Although, earlier at the Pan Ams in Bogota 2022, she won the gold medal by showing even better results than this time: 116-136-252.

To summarize the number of medals won, the leading team is an American one which took 15 medals in total that is 8 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze. The second country that managed to win a greater amount of medals is Ecuador: 3 gold, 2 silver, and 5 bronze awards. The Top 3 list is closed with Mexico which got 1 gold, 5 silver, and 3 bronze medals.