China's Lyu Xiaojun celebrates on the podium after winning the men's 81kg weightlifting competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Tokyo International Forum in Tokyo on July 31, 2021. (PHOTO / AFP)

TOKYO - Chinese veteran weightlifter Lyu Xiaojun made history by winning a gold medal in the men's 81kg category along with three new Olympic records at the Tokyo Olympic Games here on Saturday.

Zacarias Bonnat Michel of the Dominican Republic bagged a silver with 367kg. "It's historical for my country because it's the first Olympic weightlifting medal. I feel overwhelmed," said the runner-up Michel.

Italian Antonino Pizzolato nabbed a bronze with 365kg.

Taking up weightlifting in 1998, Lyu Xiaojun said the past two decades are all about his love for the sport

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Lyu, who turned 37 on Tuesday, broke the record for the oldest Olympic Games champion in the sport set by Rudolf Plukfelder of the Soviet Union, who was 36 years old when he won gold at Tokyo 1964.

Taking up weightlifting in 1998, Lyu said the past two decades are all about his love for the sport.

Lyu Xiaojun of China celebrates after winning the weightlifting men's 81kg event at Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan, on July 31, 2021. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

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"I like weightlifting at a young age, but now it's my love. This is why I will carry on until I'm 37 years old, or even 40," Lyu told a press conference.

Despite failing on his first snatch attempt at 165kg, Lyu eventually regrouped himself to lift a new Olympic record of 170kg in the snatch.