Lowcountry resident makes history for Lebanon, shines in her Olympic debut
Mahassen Hala Fattouh Paiva made history and had one of the best performances of her weightlifting career for her Olympic debut.
The South Carolina resident became the first female weightlifter to represent Lebanon and competed in the 76 kg on Sunday in the Tokyo Olympics. Fattouh Paiva turned in a personal-best in the clean and jerk portion of the event and finished third in Group B, ninth overall, with a total of 221 kg.
Her ninth-place finish was the best by any Lebanon weightlifter since 1972
Ecuador’s Neisy Dajomes won gold in the event with a total of 263 kg, and Kate Nye United States won silver with 249 kg.
“There are no words to describe how thankful I am. I didn’t do this alone and it’s been a very difficult 17 year journey,” Fattouh Paiva wrote on her Instagram page. ”I couldn’t have done this without my coaches, family, friends, weightlifting community, and the support from Lebanese all over the world. I’m looking forward to being in Beirut tomorrow to be with my family. Thank you everyone for helping me achieve this dream.”
In the snatch portion of the event, Fattouh Paiva was successful on her first two lifts of 88 kg and 93 kg. She tried 97 kg on her final lift but couldn’t complete it. The 97 kg was two more more than her personal best of 95 kg.
Fattouh Paiva was successful on all three of her lifts in the clear and jerk portion of the event including a personal best 124 kg (273 pounds) on her final attempt. She had a huge smile on her face and ran off the stage in jubilation into the arms of her husband, Ryan, who doubles as one of her coaches. The 124 kg tied her for most in Group B.
Fattouh Paiva said before the Olympics she hopes to build on the momentum of her appearance and lay the groundwork for another of her dreams. She and her husband are planning to visit Lebanon for several weeks after the Olympics.
Fattouh Paiva hopes her Olympic exposure could help establish a strong female weightlifting program there and embraces her role as a trailblazer.
Fattouh Paiva lived most of her life in Florida until her recent move to South Carolina. She and her husband live in Yemassee, a small town that straddles Beaufort and Hampton counties.
Before moving to SC full-time, Fattouh Paiva went back and forth from Florida to SC and trained with Ray Jones, who has been training weightlifters for more than two decades with Team Beaufort. Jones also works with Beaufort native C.J. Cummings, who qualified for the Olympics with Team USA and finished ninth last week in the 73 kg.
Fattouh Paiva credits training with Jones for helping her stay healthy and helping her achieve her goal of making it to the Olympics.
This story was originally published August 1, 2021 at 9:24 AM.
