Who is Olivia Reeves? All about the 21-year-old American weightlifter aiming for USA's first gold medal since 2000

Olivia Reeves will be competing in the women's 71kg at the Paris Olympics. The 21-year-old American weightlifter will be targeting to end the gold medal drought in weightlifting for Team USA. The last American weightlifter to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games was Tara Nott in 2000 at the Sydney Olympics in the women's 48kg category.

Since then, the event has been dominated by many weightlifters from different nations. In the current times, Chinese weightlifters are dominating the event in the featherweight, lightweight, and middleweight categories. However, USA's Olivia Reeves, who is currently in great form, is considered to be one of the top prospects for the podium at the Paris Olympics in the women's 71kg category.

She will be marching into her debut Olympic Games in Paris as the top-ranked weightlifter in the line-up. After incredible performances in the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the American weightlifter is expected to bring back Team USA's glory in weightlifting.

When was Olivia Reeves Born?

Olivia Reeves was born on April 19, 2003, to Amber Reeves and Jason W. Reeves in Lexington, Kentucky.

Olivia Reeves' parents and Family

Amber Reeves and Jason W. Reeves are Olivia Reeves' parents and she has two other siblings.

Where does Olivia Reeves go to college?

Reeves is currently a final year at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). She is pursuing her degree in Sociology.

Who is Olivia Reeves' coach and where does she train?

Olivia Reeves trains under the guidance of coach Steve Fauer at Tennessee Speed and Strength Gym.

Olivia Reeves' top performances

Reeves rose to prominence in the international weightlifting circuit after she won the gold medal in the women's 71 kg event at the Junior World Weightlifting Championships 2021. She then went on to win the Junior Pan American Games 2021 in the women's 76kg.

After asserting her dominance in the junior circuit, she marched into the senior circuit to win the bronze medal in the World Weightlifting Championships 2022 in clean and jerk. A year later, she won the bronze medal once again in the World Weightlifting Championships, thereby setting a new junior record in the total score and clean and jerk as a 20-year-old.

She peaked her performance in the Olympic year at the IWF World Cup where she won three gold medals in the snatch, clean & jerk, and total score respectively. Reeves marched on to the Paris Olympics in hopes of winning her first Olympic gold medal in her debut appearance at the quadrennial Games.