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Hampton Morris Snaps 40-Year Medal Drought for American Men in Weightlifting

The Marietta, Ga. native is already a star at 20.
Patrick Andres|
Apr 16, 2024; New York, New York, USA; U.S. Olympic athlete Hampton Morris poses for a photo at the USOC Media Summit in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Mariott Marquis.
Apr 16, 2024; New York, New York, USA; U.S. Olympic athlete Hampton Morris poses for a photo at the USOC Media Summit in preparation for the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Mariott Marquis. | Robert Deutsch-USA TODAY Sports

The last time an American man won a medal in weightlifting, Hampton Morris of Marietta, Ga. had not been born yet.

The United States's most recent medal came all the way back in 1984, when Guy Carlton won a heavyweight bronze and Mario Martinez won a super heavyweight silver in Los Angeles. Morris's birth came 20 years later, in 2004, by which time American men were already riding a 20-year dry spell.

On Wednesday, however, the drought came to an end. Morris captured a bronze medal in the men's 61-kilogram event, posting a score of 298 kilograms to edge out Malaysia's Aniq Kasdan by one kilogram.

Li Fabin of China took the gold medal, while Theerapong Silachai of Thailand grabbed silver.

Morris, 20, has already accrued a full trophy case in his young career. He has won a silver medal at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup and three golds at the Pan American Games.

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Patrick Andres
PATRICK ANDRES

Patrick Andres is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He joined SI in December 2022, having worked for The Blade, Athlon Sports, Fear the Sword and Diamond Digest. Andres has covered everything from zero-attendance Big Ten basketball to a seven-overtime college football game. He is a graduate of Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism with a double major in history .

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