Liu, the 2023 world champion, set the tone early by matching Armenia's Garik Karapetyan with a 186kg snatch. Heading into the clean & jerk, Liu needed just one successful lift, a massive 220kg, to secure a winning total of 406kg. This total proved unbeatable, earning him the top spot on the podium.

With the gold medal already assured, Liu attempted to break his own world records in both the clean & jerk (233kg) and total (413kg). The crowd watched in suspense as he fought through an intense clean, but he ultimately fell short on the jerk.

Despite this, Liu's remarkable performance sealed his status as the Olympic champion as China continued to triumph in the category, with Akbar Djuraev of Uzbekistan taking silver with 404kg, and Yauheni Tsikhantsou of AIN earning bronze with 402kg.

Meanwhile, Solfrid Koanda made history for Norway by winning the gold medal in the women's 81kg weightlifting event at the Olympics. This victory marks Norway's first weightlifting medal since 1972 and their first-ever in women's weightlifting. 

Koanda secured the gold with a snatch of 121kg and set a new Olympic record in the clean & jerk with a lift of 154kg. Her combined total of 275kg also set a new Olympic record. 

Sara Ahmed of Egypt took silver with a total of 268kg, while Ecuador's Neisi Dajomes claimed the bronze. Koanda's historic win is a monumental moment for Norway in the world of weightlifting.

Meanwhile, in the +102kg category, Georgia's Lasha Talakhadze can now call himself a three-time Olympic champion after beating Armenia's Varazdat Lalayan to take gold in the heaviest men's weight category.

The 30-year-old Georgian retained his iron grip and prolonged his reputation as "the world's strongest man" by lifting 215kg in the snatch and 255kg in the clean & jerk for a total of 470kg.  

Varazdat Lalayan took silver lifting a total of 467kg and Bahrain's Gor Minasyan won bronze with 461kg.