2024-09-19 16:16:04
Weightlifter Neisi Dajomes became Ecuador’s 25th representative at the Paris Olympics. The Tokyo Olympic medallist secured her presence at the Paris Games after winning the 81kg world championship in Thailand.
Dajomes’ road to Paris has not been easy, having to deal with everything from a change of category to a bothersome injury that prevented him from competing fully. Below, we will reveal 8 interesting facts about Dajomes’ spectacular qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games:
1) Changed category for this Olympic cycle
Following a decision by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF), several categories were eliminated from the men’s and women’s events for the Olympic cycle in Paris. As a result, Neisi Dajomes had to gain 5 kilograms to compete in the 81 kg category.
2) She competed with her friend Tamara Salazar for the only Olympic spot in the 81 kg division
Due to this elimination of categories, Neisi Dajomes and Tamara Salazar had to participate in the 81 kg division. In addition, and according to IWF regulations, only one weightlifter per country could qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games.
Dajomes and Salazar faced each other four times, with Neisi Dajomes ultimately securing the Olympic spot in a thrilling clash that lasted almost two years. Dajomes earned more points (Olympic ranking) and set a better record than Salazar, securing the only Olympic spot for Paris 2024.
3) He overcame a long and annoying injury
Neisi Dajomes had a difficult Olympic cycle with a shoulder injury that affected her for almost a year. Due to this ailment, she was unable to complete her participation in the 2023 Weightlifting World Championships held in Saudi Arabia.
4) At the 2024 Weightlifting World Championships he recorded his personal best
In the 81kg event at the World Weightlifting Championships in Thailand, Dajomes recorded career-bests in the snatch, clean and jerk and the Olympic total. Dajomes lifted a total of 269kg in the event held today.
5) He has won 8 medals in the Weightlifting World Championships
With the 3 medals she won in Thailand, Neisi Dajomes has now won 8 medals at the World Weightlifting Championships. Dajomes won a silver and a bronze in Anaheim 2017, 2 bronzes in Ashgabat 2018, 1 bronze medal in Pattaya 2019 and 2 golds and 1 bronze in Phuket 2024.
6) Together with her sister Angie, they are Ecuador’s strong cards to win medals in Paris
Neisi Dajomes will be competing in her third Olympic Games and for the second time she will participate together with her sister Angie, who qualified for the Olympics in the 71 kg category.
Given their record and position in the world rankings, the Dajomes sisters are two of Ecuador’s main cards to win medals at the Paris Olympic Games.
7) He returned to training with the Russian Alexei Ignatov
Neisi Dajomes and her sister Angie returned to work with Russian coach Alexei Ignatov, who polished and strengthened them, being fundamental for the Olympic medal that Neisi obtained in Tokyo.
After the Tokyo Games, Ignatov returned to Russia, and after almost two years of going their separate ways, this coach returned to work with the Dajomes sisters in search of Olympic qualification for Paris.
8) Day, time and rivals to beat in Paris 2024
With her place in Paris already secured, Neisi Dajomes has three months to prepare for this multi-sport event.
Neisi Dajomes’s event at Paris 2024 (81 kg) is scheduled for Saturday, August 10 (09:00 Ecuador time). Regarding her main rivals at the Paris Olympics, we can highlight the Egyptian Sarah Ahmed, the Australian Eileen Cikamatana and the Korean Iseul Kim. The Chinese Zhouyu Wang is also a strong rival for Dajomes, but her presence in Paris is in doubt, because China can only bring 3 weightlifters per gender and 1 per category.