Neisi Dajomes and Angie Palacios Return to Win Six Gold Medals

Neisi Dajomes and Angie Palacios returned to elite weightlifting by winning every available gold medal in their categories at the South American Championships in Guayaquil.

Dajomes competed in the 86-kilogram division. She lifted 115 kilograms in the snatch and 150 in the clean and jerk, for a combined total of 265 kilograms. Palacios competed at 77 kilograms, lifting 108 in the snatch and 128 in the clean and jerk, with a total of 236 kilograms.

The competition marked Dajomes’s return after a 14-month sanction imposed by the International Testing Agency. She tested positive for clomifene in an April 2025 control. The original 24-month suspension was reduced after authorities determined that she had not intended to enhance her performance. Dajomes said she had used the substance as part of personal medical treatment and had failed to obtain therapeutic-use authorization in time because of an administrative error.

Palacios had been away for different reasons. She stepped back from competition because of pregnancy and motherhood, and announced the birth of her daughter on Aug. 26, 2025. The sisters, both bronze medalists at the Paris 2024 Olympics, now plan to pursue a place at the 2028 Los Angeles Games.