Mattie Rogers has withdrawn from campaigning for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in August because of a painful and “soul-crushing” injury. Rogers, who lifted at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, announced her decision on social media, saying she will focus on local and national meets until her planned return to the international stage at the 2024 World Weightlifting Championships (WWC) this December.
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What Happened to Mattie Rogers?
According to Rogers’ explanation on social media, the issue is a nerve-related injury that causes stabbing pain and a loss of feeling in her leg. She has reportedly battled the injury for “the last few months.”
Rogers, 28, unexpectedly withdrew from the most recent Olympic qualifier, the 2024 European Weightlifting Championships in February, at the last moment.
Rogers’ femoral cutaneous nerve is “like a kinked hose,” she notes. The nerve in question is part of “a network of nerves that connect the spinal cord in the lower back with the motor and sensory nerves of the legs,” according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. “This is a pure sensory nerve and does not operate any muscles.”
In her Mar. 11, 2024, Instagram post, Rogers spoke at length about the impact her injury has had on her mood and mentality:
“Lifting has been an absolute nightmare. It’s like there’s a power outage in one whole leg, plus being stabbed simultaneously … I cannot push through a body no longer functioning properly. With this injury being nerve-related, my body physically will not keep going. And it is absolutely soul-crushing.“
“I know I did absolutely everything I could do to get through this. But unfortunately, band-aid after band-aid can only last for so long.”
“I am taking this month away from the barbell and doing fun and painless activities to move my body, and even dabbling in some (scaled) CrossFit a few times a week.“
“Mentally, it’s going to be a bit until I recover. Physically, I’m already on the road to recovery. And I am grateful for that. I can’t wait to be back.”
Out of the Race
The 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, from Mar. 31 to Apr. 11, 2024, is the final competition in 2024 Olympics qualification period. Attendance is mandatory, meaning athletes who are not there cannot qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games set, for Aug. 7-11, 2024. Rogers was among the final entries in the 81KG category, but will not be there.
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Rogers expressed relief that the time away from weightlifting will hopefully provide her with the rest she needs to make a complete recovery. Prior to her withdrawal, Rogers competed at four other Paris qualifying events. Here’s how she did:
- 2022 World Weightlifting Championships: 2nd
- 2023 Pan American Championships: 4th
- 2023 Grand Prix I: 5th
- 2023 World Weightlifting Championships: 4th
Her best overall Total (the sum of the snatch and clean & jerk) from these events was 252 kilograms at the 2023 World Championships, by way of 112 kilograms in the snatch and 140 in the clean & jerk.
Nearly three years ago, Rogers finished sixth at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, lifting in the 87KG category despite weighing only 78.55KG. The USA slot at 76KG was taken by Kate Vibert-Davis, who won silver. There was no 81KG category held in Tokyo.
[Related: 2024 Pan American Weightlifting Championships Full Results]
Which American Women Will Go to Paris 2024?
Rogers’ chances of finishing high enough in the IWF rankings to claim one of Team USA’s three places for female lifters were not on her side. Prior to her withdrawal, she was ranked 10th in the world with a best total of 252 kilograms and would have been eligible for selection if she held on to that position.
Each country may only send three male competitors and three female competitors to the Games this summer. The States will evaluate which three women on Team USA are highest on their respective categories’ leaderboards and likely offer each of them a slot.
Tokyo silver medalist Vibert-Davis has also opted to try for a bid in the 81-kilogram category, since she has no realistic chance of catching 71-kilo teammate Olivia Reeves, who is currently ranked second in the world with a 262KG Total.
Reeves is joined by Jourdan Delacruz (49KG, fourth in the world) and Mary Theisen-Lappen (+87KG, ranked fifth), rounding out the presumptive trio to be nominated for Paris now that Rogers has conceded. Vibert-Davis remains a dark horse candidate, depending on her performance at the World Cup this April.
Two other recent withdrawals have strengthened the cases for the athletes above: 49-kilogram Hayley Reichardt withdrew in January citing a “mental break”. Two-time super-heavyweight Olympic bronze medalist (2016, 2020) Sarah Robles announced in late February that she was also pulling out.
Disclaimer: Brian Oliver is an independent correspondent for BarBend. The views and opinions expressed on this site do not necessarily reflect his own. Oliver is not directly affiliated with any of BarBend’s existing media partnerships.
Editor’s Note: BarBend is the Official Media Partner of USA Weightlifting. The two organizations maintain editorial independence unless otherwise specified.
Featured Image: @mattierogersoly on Instagram
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