PARIS – Former Indiana State standout thrower Mary Theisen-Lappen made her Olympics debut Sunday morning, finishing fifth in the +81kg division of weightlifting inside the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles.
Theisen-Lappen had successful lifts of 115kg (253.5 pounds) and 119kg (262.4 pounds) in the snatch, while posting a successful lift of 155kg (341.7 pounds) in the clean and jerk. Her combined total of 274kg (604.1 pounds) placed her fifth in the field. Had she successfully completed her third attempt in the clean and jerk, Theisen-Lappen would have finished fourth.
Theisen-Lappen's result is the first-ever top-five finish for a Sycamore Track and Field alum in the Olympics and highlights her rise in the weightlifting ranks.