At the José Joaquín Puello Pavilion, Oñate held the crowd's breath and, on his final clean and jerk attempt, lifted 158 kilograms to claim the title, edging out Dominican lifter Luis García, who finished second with 153 kilograms.

The bar, both stubborn and yielding, crowned the Cuban's determination in a dramatic finish that left the bronze medal to Colombian lifter Duvan Ferrer, who arrived in strong form after dominating the snatch competition.

Earlier in the session, Ferrer had taken gold in the snatch with 123 kilograms, extending a golden streak that includes titles at the Bolivarian Games, the South American Championship, and the qualifying event leading up to these Games.

Oñate, consistent and composed, secured silver in the snatch with 121 kilograms, continuing the competitive thread that saw him reach the podium three times—all with silver—at the recent Pan American Championship in Panama.

Dominican lifter García, a junior world champion, held on to bronze in the snatch with 119 kilograms and then returned to the platform to push until the very end in the clean and jerk, where his lift of 153 kilograms fell just short of a miracle.