23 Dec 2016

Sport: Marshalls lifter wins gold

2:46 pm on 23 December 2016

Marshall Islands weightlifter Mattie Sasser has capped off 2016 by winning a gold medal at the American Open in Orlando, Florida.

She defeated 63 competitors in the women's 58kg division, including American senior record holder Jessica Lucero.

The Marshall Islands Journal reports that the 19 year old, who finished 11th in her weight class at the Rio Olympics in August, snatched 88kg and clean and jerked 113kg for a 201kg total.

Marshall Islands' Mathlynn Sasser competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Marshall Islands' Mathlynn Sasser competing at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Photo: AFP

Both competitors snatched 88kg on their final attempt, with Sasser claiming gold on weight advantage.

In the clean and jerk, Lucero failed with a final attempt at 116kg and finished one kilogram shy of the Marshall Islander.

"This year Mattie achieved the top position in Oceania's 58kg junior category and now she is top in America," her coach and father Terry Sasser told The Marshall Islands Journal.

Sasser's efforts also broke her previous Oceania 58kg junior snatch and total records.