Ajah Pritchard-Lolo (born 10 August 2002) is a Ni-Vanuatu weightlifter. After competing in CrossFit events, she took up weightlifting during the COVID-19 pandemic and contested the 2022 Commonwealth Games, where she finished eighth in the 87 kg event. She then won four medals in the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships and qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics, where she placed 11th out of 13.
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | 10 August 2002 Wellington, New Zealand | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 189 cm (6 ft 2 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 85 kg (187 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Weightlifting | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight class | 81 kg | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Coached by | Simone Pritchard | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Early life and career
editPritchard-Lolo was born on 10 August 2002[1][2] and grew up in Vanuatu[2] from age 6. Her father was born in New Zealand, of Samoan descent, and her mother is of Samoan, Dutch, and French descent.[3] She has one sibling.[3] She attended school at JMG Lycée Francais until 16 and then attended Queen Margaret College, Wellington, in New Zealand, before returning to Vanuatu in 2021.[3] Pritchard-Lolo competed in CrossFit events and is a qualified CrossFit coach.[3] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began competing in weightlifting, while in New Zealand.[4] She continued weightlifting upon her return to Vanuatu, with the help of her mother, who opened a weightlifting club and later became the president of the Vanuatu Weightlifting Federation.[4]
In 2022, Pritchard-Lolo was selected to compete at the 2022 Commonwealth Games on a bipartite invitation, competing in the 87 kg event, where she finished eighth.[5][6] She attended the Oceania Weightlifting Federation Training Camp in March 2023.[7] Her 2023 season included appearances at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Saudi Arabia, the U23 Junior & Youth Oceania Weightlifting Championships in Apia, and the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands, where she won three medals: two silver and a bronze in the snatch, clean & jerk, and total events.[8][9] She competed at the North Island Weightlifting Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, in June 2024. Later that month she received a universality selection to compete at the 2024 Summer Olympics in the 81 kg category, becoming the first-ever Vanuatu Olympic weightlifter.[8][10][11] Pritchard-Lolo was originally targeting an Olympic debut at the 2028 Summer Olympics, before being awarded one of the three female weightlifter universality spots.[4] She lifted 197 kg in total and placed 11th among 13 participants.[12]
Major results
edit| Year | Venue | Weight | Snatch (kg) | Clean & Jerk (kg) | Total | Rank | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | Rank | 1 | 2 | 3 | Rank | |||||
| Olympic Games | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | Paris, France | 81 kg | 85 | 89 | — | 103 | 108 | — | 197 | 11 | ||
| World Championships | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | 87 kg | 85 | 14 | 105 | 111 | 14 | 196 | 13 | |||
| IWF World Cup | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | Phuket, Thailand | 81 kg | — | 100 | 105 | 110 | 24 | — | — | |||
| Oceania Championships | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | Honiara, Solomon Islands | 87 kg | 86 | 90 |  |
105 | 107 |  |
197 |
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| 2024 | Auckland, New Zealand | 81 kg | 88 | |
105 |  |
193 |
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References
edit- ^ "Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". Olympics.com.
- ^ a b "Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". 2022 Commonwealth Games.
- ^ a b c d Natoga, Anasilini (26 March 2022). "Special moment for Ajah Lolo". Vanuatu Daily Post.
- ^ a b c Ewart, Richard (11 July 2024). "Mother-daughter combo excited to put Vanuatu weighlifting on the map at the Olympic Games in Paris". ABC News.
- ^ Natoga, Anasilini (21 March 2022). "Ajah Lolo has booked her flight to the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games". Vanuatu Daily Post.
- ^ "Commonwealth Games: Weightlifting - Women's 87kg results". BBC. 2 August 2022.
- ^ "Lolo invited to elite camp in Australia". Sista.com.vu. 29 March 2023.
- ^ a b Molivakoro, Vourie (25 June 2024). "First female weightlifter to compete in Olympic Games". Vanuatu Daily Post.
- ^ "Participant biography: Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". 2023 Pacific Games.
- ^ "Lifting Dreams: How Ajah Pritchard Lolo Became Vanuatu's Olympic Weightlifting Icon". VIMB.vu. 6 August 2024.
- ^ "Athlete count for Vanuatu". Olympedia.org.
- ^ "Ajah Pritchard-Lolo". NBC Olympics.
