The Colombian's victory in a high-quality contest at 89 kilograms, one of the new weight categories for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, helped the host nation to move to the top of the medals table.

Colombian weightlifters took four of the six titles on the middle two days of the event, which finishes on Friday (July 29).

The host nation has had five champions so far.

There was only one second left on the clock when Rodallegas, who was fifth at 81kg in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last year, made his final clean and jerk of 210kg.

That took him ahead of two Tokyo silver medallists - Keydomar Vallenilla of Venezuela, who competed at 96kg in Japan, and Zacarías Bonnat of the Dominican Republic, who was second at 81kg.

Bonnat was injured before his low-key return last November in the 2021 Pan American Championships, and this time he looked in good shape.

His final clean and jerk of 207kg would have been a continental record but for Rodallegas coming out to better it.

Vallenilla, who won the 96kg continental title last year, failed with his final attempt at 210kg.

The final numbers were 172-210-382 for Rodallegas, 171-206-377 for Vallenilla, and 165-207-372 for Bonnat.

The Canadian Alex Bellemarre had a career-best total of 354kg in fourth place.

The same athletes are likely to go head-to-head again in December, along with the best from the rest of the world, when Colombia hosts the 2022 International Weightlifting Federation World Championships - the first qualifying event for Paris.

Colombia’s other winner on day four was Nathalia Llamosa in the women’s 64kg, in which her team-mate Julieth Rodriguez finished second.

Llamosa made 106-129-235, with Rodriguez totalling 224kg and third-placed Queysi Rojas of Mexico on 208kg.

It would have been three from three for Colombia had Maria Sánchez not failed with her final clean and jerk attempt of 136kg in the women’s 71kg.

That left Angie Palacios of Ecuador on top of the podium with 113-134-247.

Sánchez made 112-134-246, and Meredith Alwin of the United States was third despite making only two of her six lifts, on 102-132-234.

Colombia also had a one-two finish on day three.

Yenny Álvarez set a continental record on her way to a dominant victory in the women’s 59kg, in which her team-mate Concepcion Usuga took silver.

Alvarez, who is from Bogota, made a Pan American snatch best of 102kg on her way to a total of 226kg.

Despite missing two of her clean and jerks she made 102-124-226 to finish 10kg clear of a very happy Usuga, with the American Taylor Wilkins third, a further 1kg behind.

Colombia’s other winner yesterday was Gustavo Maldonado, who took the men’s 81kg with 143-186-329.

He was 5kg clear of Darvin Castro of Venezuela, with Mexico's Juniel Munoz third on 316kg.

The winning total was well down on last year’s 347kg by Rodallegas, who moved up to the new Olympic weight to take on Vallenilla and Bonnat.

Jorge Cardenas of Mexico failed with his final two attempts in the men’s 73kg, leaving Julio Cedeño of the Dominican Republic on top of the podium.

Cedeño made six from six in his 144-174-318, while Cardenas failed at 173kg and 175kg to finish second on 145-170-315, ahead of his team-mate Jonathan Munoz by 5kg.