Sofia 2024 Day 5: USA dominates but gold goes to Romania and Italy.

Two more 2023 European champions defended their titles at the Sofia 2024 European Weightlifting Championships. Loreadna Toma of Romania won the women's 71 kg, while Oscar Reyes of Italy was the best in the men's 81 kg.

In the women's event, however, it was Olivia Reeves of the USA who had the best results in the women's event in the snatch (115 kg), clean and jerk (140 kg) and total (255 kg). Another American, Meredith Alwin, was second in the clean and jerk (135 kg). As the US athletes don't compete for medals, the gold in the snatch and the total went to Toma with scores of 114-127-241. 

Suzanna Valodzka (Individual Neutral Athletes) was third in the snatch, first in the clean and jerk and second in the total (105-130-235). Lisa Mary Schweizer from Germany was second in the snatch and third in the total. Celia Gold (Israel) and Sarah Davies (Great Britain) took silver and bronze respectively in the clean and jerk. Davies, the 2021 World runner-up, was only sixth in the total with 226 kg. She didn't move up in the Olympic rankings and is in danger of missing out on Paris 2024. 

Oscar Reyes was the best in all events with 155-191-346. Albania's Kristi Ramadani competed in Group B and won silver in the clean and jerk (190 kg) and the total (341 kg). Former European champion Rafik Harutyunyan (Armenia) finished third in the snatch and total. Experienced Albanian Erkand Qerimaj took silver in the snatch and Patryk Beben of Poland was third in the clean and jerk.