Maude Charron wins weightlifting gold for Canada at Tokyo Olympics

Maude Charron has taken home the gold medal in the women’s 64kg weightlifting competition at the Tokyo Olympics.

The 28-year-old from Rimouski, Que., won gold after lifting 105 kg in the snatch and 131 kg in the clean and jerk for a total lift of 236 kg.

Charron lifted her hands in triumph as she climbed the podium and appeared to wipe away tears as the Canadian anthem played.

“Actually I don’t remember,” Charron said with a laugh when asked about the anthem. “I was just crying, and I didn’t realize what happened.

“I thought about my grandmother because once she told me she’d like me to sing the Canadian anthem, so I sang it – but on the podium at the Olympics.”

Italy’s Giorgia Bordignon took the silver medal and Taiwan’s Wen-Huei Chen the bronze.

Charron is the second Canadian woman to win an Olympic weightlifting medal. It’s also Canada’s second gold medal this Olympics.

Charron has also competed in CrossFit and according to a biography on the CrossFit website, formerly attended circus school at the École de Cirque de Québec.

–with files from the Canadian Press