All Team USA needed to do to earn a qualifying spot to the Olympics was for Caine Wilkes to post a total. With Kendrick Farris only one athlete away from representing Team USA at the Olympics, Wilkes had to post a 406kg total to slip past Farris.
Wilkes started with a clean 170kg snatch, but then failed 177kg on his second and third attempts. He then appeared to play it safe and start with a 215kg clean and jerk on his first attempt. A successful lift would all but lock the U.S. into a qualifying spot. The plan, however, backfired as Wilkes missed his first attempt. He came back though and hit 215kg for his second attempt. With an Olympic bid secured, Wilkes loaded 236kg for the final lift onto the bar at the 2016 Pan-American Championships for his final attempt. Unfortunately for Wilkes, it was not his day as he failed the final attempt.
Wilkes earned a silver medal even though he only went 2-for-6 with a 385kg total and earned Team USA 25 points. Wilkes’ points gave the U.S. 141 points, good for 4th place and an Olympic berth. Kendrick Farris led Team USA with his 165 / 199 // 364kg gold medal performance in the 94kg weight class.
Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, United States, Dominican Republic, Peru and Canada all earned an Olympic Spot. Below are the final team standings.
