Charlotte’s Caine Wilkes just competed in Olympic weightlifting. Here’s how he did
Caine Wilkes, a Charlotte-area resident and one of the world’s strongest men, faced off against a dozen of the world’s other strongest men Wednesday while competing for Team USA in the Summer Olympics.
The results were mixed. Wilkes finished ninth, the first time he had finished inside the top 10 in a world championship-level event. But he also missed on three of his six overall attempts and was well out of the medal running.
Georgian weightlifter Lasha Talakhadze set a new world record while winning the gold medal. Iran’s Ali Davoudi earned silver and Syria’s Man Asaad took bronze.
Competing in the super-heavyweight 109-plus kilogram category (for men weighing 241 or more pounds), Wilkes was able to snatch 173kg (381 pounds) on his first attempt. He then missed on his next two snatches at higher weights.
In the clean and jerk, Wilkes successfully lifted 212kg and 217kg (478 pounds) on his first two attempts, then missed at 224.
At age 34, this was Wilkes’ first and last Olympics. While he will continue to compete in the sport, he doesn’t plan to do so seriously enough to try to get on Team USA for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Also an aspiring artist, Wilkes will go to Hawaii after his competition to see his family for a few days before returning to Charlotte.
