VIDEO EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Olympic Weightlifter Jourdan Delacruz Wants Gold In Paris

U.S. Olympic weightlifter Jourdan Delacruz has her sights set on Paris 2024, and her enthusiasm is palpable. Fresh off her final qualifier, Delacruz is shifting her focus to the intense preparation required for the Olympics.

“We just finished our last qualifier so now we can focus on Olympic prep,” she told uInterview. “And of course, we’re here doing all the exciting Olympic stuff so I’m getting more excited. And I’m also excited just to begin that prep. We’re getting into the nitty-gritty of training already, so that’s really fun,” Delacruz shared.

Delacruz’s journey to the Olympics is a testament to her dedication and rapid progression in the sport. Starting as a competitive cheerleader, she sought strength training during the off-season and found her way to weightlifting through a CrossFit class she attended with her mom.

“Everything after that happened really quickly. I was offered a residency spot at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado. So I took that and then from there I’ve just been qualifying from youth to Junior to Senior World level competitions,” she explained.

Her impressive trajectory saw her compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, and now she is poised for another chance to shine on the world stage in Paris.

Looking beyond Paris, Delacruz is also eyeing the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, though possibly not as a competitor. “I’m really excited about LA 2028. Not necessarily as an athlete competing—I haven’t decided that. That’ll be a later decision. But I’m really excited to just be there and be a part of the Olympic movement in whatever capacity I can be,” she said.

Delacruz is also a registered dietician student and hopes to assist athletes with their nutrition journey as they prepare for the Games.

Training at a high level takes a lot of hard work, and Delacruz’s schedule shows how dedicated she is. “I train twice a day Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Each session is 3 to 4 hours long. And then I train once on Tuesday and Saturday. So I probably clock in over 20 hours every week, so that’s my full-time job. I go to school in between. I focus on my recovery. My life is pretty redundant, pretty much the same, but I think that’s just part of being an elite athlete,” she said.

At just 26 years old, Delacruz has already made significant strides in her career. She holds multiple American records in her weight class, including the snatch, clean and jerk and total lift. Her performance at the Pan American Championships and other international competitions has solidified her reputation as one of the top weightlifters in the world.