David Liti blows a kiss after his final attempt in the men's +109kg weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Photosport
David Liti blows a kiss after his final attempt in the men's +109kg weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics. Photo / Photosport
David Liti won't be leaving Tokyo with an Olympic Games medal, but he is sure to have won over plenty of fans with his display on the platform for the men's +109kg weightlifting competition.
As he did when he won gold at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, Liti caught theeye of those watching with his unique and bubbly personality.
"A very, very popular character," event commentators said of the 25-year-old.
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Liti finished the competition in fifth place, pairing a new personal best in the clean and jerk of 236kg with a 178kg lift in the snatch to post an overall weight of 414kg.
Georgian powerhouse Lasha Talakhadze claimed the gold medal, posting new world records in both the snatch (223kg) and the clean and jerk (265kg), for a total lift of 488kg - also a world record.
For Liti, the event showed his improvement over the past few years since he burst onto the scene at the 2018 Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast, topping the total lift he managed there by 11kg.
The 403kg he achieved then was a Commonwealth Games record, and he said while he had enjoyed his time at the Olympic Games, his focus would immediately switch to defending that title.
"It's straight into Commonwealth Games preparation, so my quarantine will be my chill time. Honestly, I can't wait. I don't usually like to predict things and come out as if I'm confident and stuff, but I would love to win back-to-back gold at the Commonwealth Games, so that is the goal."
