Canada's Charron is an Olympic weightlifting champion. The challenge now is to repeat at a lighter weight
Rimouski, Que., native will also face Taiwan's Hsing-Chun Kuo, who set an Olympic record in Tokyo
Like Canadian opening ceremony flag-bearer Maude Charron, Nicolas Vachon found himself in the weightlifting wilderness.
As the International Olympic Committee cut the number of weight classes from seven to five, both Canadians were left on the outs, needing to either gain or lose mass in order to continue competing.
They each chose the latter.
Vachon went from 81 to 73 kilograms in three months. The hardest part of the weight loss for the 28-year-old, who did not qualify for the Olympics, was quite relatable.
"You're always a little bit hungry. So I try to find some solution like don't eat after 8 p.m. because at this time it's nothing you need to eat. It's more like a treat or something," Vachon said.
"But at the end of the day, yes, it's difficult, but to be an elite athlete, there's no choice [but] for you to do that."
WATCH | Charron goes 1-on-1 with CBC Sports' Ariel Helwani:
'It will be an insane category'
Charron, who won Olympic gold in Tokyo at 64 kilograms, is now set to compete in Paris in the 59kg category. Beyond the weight loss, Charron will now have to go against Taiwan's Hsing-Chun Kuo, who set an Olympic record at the last Games.
The event begins Thursday at 9 a.m. ET, with live coverage available across CBC Olympics platforms and CBC Gem.
In an individual sport like weightlifting, though, Charron's focus has been on herself and her form heading into these Games.
Ahead of the opening ceremony, she told CBC Sports' Scott Russell that she's no longer stressed about the new weight class.
"I feel like this is my bodyweight category now and I belong there and I'm as strong as I was before," Charron, the 31-year-old from Rimouski, Que., said.
WATCH | Charron reacts to being named flag-bearer:
Charron lifted a total of 236 kilograms between the snatch and clean-and-jerk to win Olympic gold in Tokyo. At a World Cup in April, she lifted the exact same amount — even while weighing in five kilograms lighter — and scored a bronze medal.
Vachon said that "everything was much harder" when he began cutting weight, noting that elite athletes don't have much fat to shed, and so any loss is likely coming from muscle mass.
"You need to compensate with better techniques, more speed, more accuracy. So like, weightlifting is a really complex sport. So it's not just 100 per cent strength," Vachon said.
Leader by example
Vachon has known Charron since they competed together at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
He said his fellow Quebecer "was great" to be able to cut the weight and still compete like she has, with a pair of World Cup bronze in her new category.
"Maude's the leader of Weightlifting Canada and the better athlete for a reason because she's really focused on her thing and that's it," Vachon said.
In Paris, Charron has some unfinished business. While her Tokyo win made her the second Canadian woman ever, after Christine Girard, to win Olympic gold, it didn't quite feel like that.
"I don't feel like I experienced the Olympics. Definitely Paris will be my Olympic experience. My family will be there. My friends will be there. I'll be able to root for my teammates, go see their events, visit the country, and be there a little bit longer after my meet. I can enjoy my experience rather than sitting in a plane 40 hours after I get off the podium," she said.
Charron already led the Canadian contingent, flag in hand, down the Seine during the opening ceremony.
Now, a completely different kind of competition awaits.
