China’s Li Fabin on Wednesday defended his Olympic gold in the men’s 61kg weightlifting, boosting his chances with a new Olympic record in the snatch category.

Li lifted a combined 310 kg at the South Paris Arena, slightly lower than his record of 313 kg at the Tokyo Games.

That’s 7 kg more than Thailand’s Theerapong Silachai in second place, and 12 kg more than Hampton Morris from the US who took bronze and holds the world record for the clean and jerk category.

Li successfully lifted 137kg, 140kg and 143kg in the snatch event, with the third lift setting a new Olympic record.

The 31 year old's attempt to clean and jerk 172kg, to equal his own Olympic record from Tokyo, fell narrowly short, with Li buckling as the weights reached his chest. He settled for the 167kg he managed on his second attempt.

This is the first weightlifting gold and the 23rd gold overall for the national team at the Paris Olympics.