John Ceniza withdraws from Paris Olympics due to shoulder injury

Filipino weightlifter John Ceniza withdrew from the Paris 2024 Olympics men's 61kg division due to a persistent shoulder injury.

Ceniza, 26, failed all three of his snatch attempts at 125kg, a weight he stated his shoulder could not handle even during warm-ups, and revealed he competed despite the injury.

He admitted that the pain from his shoulder injury was more concerning than the competition itself, despite his adrenaline levels being high.

This same injury, which had been bothering him for months prior to the Olympics, reportedly worsened during the event.

Ceniza's "Did Not Finish" (DNF) meant he could not progress to the clean and jerk portion, as medals are awarded for the total lift.

He apologized to the Filipino people for his early exit and vowed to work hard to qualify for the next Olympics.

China's Li Fabin won gold in the event, followed by Thailand's Theerapong Silachai with silver, and American Hampton Morris with bronze.

Ceniza is reportedly set to receive a P200,000 reward from the Cebu City government.