PARIS - Despite winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Games three years ago, 春色直播 weightlifter Maude Charron dreamed of experiencing a "real" Olympics.
The 31-year-old from Rimouski, Que., fulfilled that goal at the Paris Games by lifting weights in front of family and friends.
Coming away with a silver medal around her neck was a bonus.
"We train to lift exceptional weights, but we can't do it alone," Charron said after receiving the second Olympic medal of her career. "In the end, you want to thank those who helped you, who supported you, who followed you. Having those people here, I lifted my first snatch, and my Olympic dream was accomplished.
"The medal is great. The ranking is great. Facing incredible athletes is exceptional. But having the crowd here, my family, friends who travelled, it鈥檚 not comparable to the result.鈥
Charron finished second in the women's 59-kilogram event on Thursday.
The female flag-bearer for Canada at the opening ceremony held back tears before stepping onto the podium.
She hugged Taiwanese lifter Hsing-Chun Kuo, who was inconsolable despite her third-place finish, and appreciated every little gesture she couldn鈥檛 do three years ago due to health and safety restrictions.
"I felt that photos with a mask spoiled the beauty of the podium a bit (in Tokyo)," she said. "It's a detail too, but I was touched that someone put the medal around my neck, rather than having to take it and put it on myself.鈥
Charron's journey since the Tokyo Games hasn鈥檛 been easy.
Her gold in Tokyo was in the 64-kilogram category, which was removed from the Olympic program for Paris, so Charron chose to drop down to 59 kilograms rather than move up to 71 kilograms.
Despite that change and a knee injury during the Olympic cycle, Charron lifted 236 kilograms on Thursday, the same total weight she reached in Tokyo.
Chinese weightlifter Shifang Luo triumphed with a total of 241 kilograms, an Olympic record. Kuo completed the podium after lifting 235 kilograms.
"There were some challenges that I overcame: how to lose weight and keep strength. I didn't think I could lift as much in this category," Charron noted. "The numbers prove that I am a better athlete at 59 kg than at 64 kg.鈥
In a tense atmosphere at the Paris Sud 6 Arena, Charron completed five of her six lifts. She reached 106 kilograms in the snatch and 130 kilograms in the clean and jerk.
She made a final attempt at 132 kilograms in the clean and jerk but was unable to lift the bar over her head, falling backward but avoiding injury.
That missed lift wouldn鈥檛 have changed the result, anyway.
Luo, the reigning world champion, was dominant. She set Olympic records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total weight.
Kuo, the Tokyo Games champion in the 59-kilogram category, went all out in her final attempt but was unable to lift 137 kilograms and force Luo to lift one last time.
The 23-year-old Luo returned to the stage for a victory lap and didn鈥檛 even attempt her sixth and final lift.
"I knew I had a chance (of winning a medal), but it would have been bold to say I could win. Luo lifted a lot more kilograms,鈥 Charron said. 鈥淚 put pressure on the snatch. In the clean and jerk it was about staying in the game, but we weren't putting pressure on ourselves to reach the podium.
"I鈥檓 super happy with a medal. Now I鈥檓 going to celebrate with my family, watch other sports, participate in the closing ceremony, and see the Games."
Charron said she felt a lot of anxiety in Tokyo, recalling the fear that one positive COVID-19 test could end her journey at any moment. She also felt isolated with her loved ones thousands of kilometres away.
This time, Charron had the opportunity to see a group of roughly 30 family and friends moments after receiving her silver medal.
"I tried to hug everyone with my little arms,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t feels so good to see them here."
Among those present were her parents, her partner, friends from the weightlifting club where she trains in the United States, a childhood friend, a gymnastics coach who guided her during her childhood and a music teacher from her high school.
鈥淚 would not be here without my family, I would not be here without my support system, I would not be here without my coaches,鈥 Charron said. 鈥淗aving them here means the world to me, and being able to perform well is the cherry on top.鈥
This report by 春色直播was first published Aug. 8, 2024.
