China's LI Wenwen wins gold and breaks records in women's weightlifting +87kg

China’s LI Wenwen showed the world she is a super-heavyweight powerhouse after collecting gold and three Olympic records in women’s +87kg weightlifting at Tokyo 2020.

The 21-year-old appeared to lift with ease 140kg in the snatch and 180kg in the clean and jerk, setting records in both. She claimed a third with her amassed score of 320 points, which was just outside her world record of 335.

After the judges approved her final lift, an elated Li dashed to bring her coach on stage and they both did a bow at the Tokyo International Forum. Her gold medal was China's seventh in weightlifting at these Olympic Games, which equals the record number set by the Soviet Union in 1976.

The athlete's nearest rival in the competition was European champion, Great Britain’s Emily Campbell, who lifted 122 in the snatch and 161 in the clean and jerk, which gave her 283 points. The 27-year-old became the first British athlete to collect an Olympic medal in women's weightlifting. Her silver was also the first medal the country had won since 1984 when David Mercer took bronze in the men's 90kg. Just one point behind Campbell was the USA’s Sarah Robles on 282.

The Olympic title is the latest in Li’s already impressive portfolio. At just 19 she caused a major upset when she won the World Championships by beating the super-heavyweight titleholder, Russia’s Tatiana Kashirina, who is not competing at Tokyo 2020.

Laurel Hubbard also competed in the competition. The 43-year-old, who was the first transgender athlete from New Zealand to compete at an Olympic Games, did not finish after failing to make any of her lifts in the snatch.