Samir, ranked second at 81kg for Paris 2024, dropped down to 76kg to claim her second world title on 108-138-246, her lowest total in more than five years.

It was good enough for gold, adding to the success of Karim Abokahla in the men’s 96kg last night.

Samir declined her remaining attempts after making her openers and left the platform in some discomfort, having suffered a back injury only a week ago. Even so, Samir described it as "an easy competition for me."

Meredith Alwine from the United States had to be helped off the platform when she suffered a quadriceps injury in failing with her first clean and jerk, and was unable to continue.

Alwine, world champion at 71kg two years ago, was able to walk out of the warm-up room 20 minutes later.

In her absence, the battle for silver and bronze was fought out between Hellen Escobar from Colombia, Bella Paredes from Ecuador and Kim Suhyeon from South Korea.

Snatch silver medallist Kim was her usual bouncy, smiling, noisy self despite missing two clean and jerks and dropping to fourth place on total.

"My elbows were all over the place," she said.

All three contenders missed their final attempts, leaving Escobar second on 106-136-242 and Paredes third on 105-135-240.

None of the medallists would have made the podium in the lighter 71kg Olympic category last night with those numbers.