Kaiser Witte is back on the scene after a four-year hiatus from international weightlifting. On Oct. 24, 2023 in Santiago, Chile as part of the closing weightlifting sessions at the 2023 Pan American Games, +109-kilogram Witte took home a silver medal for the United States with a command performance.
Going four-for-six on the day and ending with bests of 187 kilograms (412.2 pounds) in the snatch, a 222-kilogram (489.4-pound) clean & jerk, and a 409-kilo (901.6-pound) Total, Witte had his best performance of all time on an International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) stage.
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In a press release from USA Weightlifting (USAW), Witte described his elation at representing America on the international stage once again after some time away from the competitive scene of the sport:
““I wanted to win, but it was a seven-kilo competition personal record so I’m just going to keep chipping away. Overall, I was happy with it. Anytime you get to get a medal, you’ve got to be grateful for it, so I am,” he said.
In Context
Prior to his appearance in Chile, Witte’s last verified competitive appearance according to the IWF’s athlete database was in 2021, where he placed 11th at that year’s World Weightlifting Championships with a 402-kilogram Total. Unfortunately, his hiatus from the international weightlifting platform has cost him his chance at competing in the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
To make it to next year’s Games, aspirant weightlifters need to weigh in or perform at a number of specific competitions scattered across the quad — with two additional compulsory events, the 2023 IWF World Weightlifting Championships and the 2024 IWF World Cup. Worlds wrapped in Saudi Arabia in September and Witte wasn’t selected. However, his 409-kilogram Total from Chile exceeds the results of fellow superheavies Caine Wilkes (who Totaled 386) and Alejandro Medina (who lifted 373).
With weightlifting officially confirmed for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, Witte can certainly aim at becoming an Olympian in the next five years.
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