The host nation had a total of 24 medals, 10 fewer than Colombia, who topped the men's, women's and combined medals tables and won 21 golds.

Sarah Robles, third in last year's Olympic Games at over-75 kilograms, led the way for the US with a sweep of golds in the new women’s category, over-90kg.

Caine Wilkes took gold in clean and jerk and total in the men's over-105kg, in a field depleted by the "unofficial" status of Brazil's Fernando Reis, while D'Angelo Osorio added a clean and jerk gold in the men's 105kg in dramatic style.

Robles, a Mormon who believes her faith helps her with her general outlook and her balance of life inside and outside sport, made all six lifts to win with something to spare.

The 1-2-3 was the same in snatch, clean and jerk and total, with Robles finishing 10kg clear of Veronica Saladin from the Dominican Republic, and 15kg ahead of third-placed Tania Mascorro from Mexico.

Robles, 28, will be aiming for a medal at the World Championships in her home state of California later this year.

"It provides a welcome environment outside of weightlifting, it gives me another network outside of sport," she said of her faith.

"I haven’t served a mission or anything like that but people ask me to come to youth services and do some speaking, share stories about my faith and how it relates to sport.

"I'm not one of those people who's going to soapbox preach in front of people."

Wesley Kitts took silvers in snatch and total in the men's 105kg and came desperately close to gold when he thought he had made his second attempt at 208kg in the clean and jerk, only to be given a no lift by the judges.

He then failed with his third attempt, one of six straight failures near the end of the competition that left the Ecuadorian snatch specialist David Arroyo in first place despite being only eighth best in clean and jerk, with Juan Columbie of Cuba third.

The drama was not over, however, for D'Angelo Osorio waited in the wings for one final attempt at 210kg, and the American made it to take the clean and jerk gold.

Osorio had been suffering from a back injury in his preparations and made only 150kg in the snatch, leaving him 11th.

His successful finish, which put him sixth overall, meant the difference between his snatch and his clean and jerk was 60kg.

"I've never done that before - a 60 kilo difference," he said.

"To be honest I didn't think I was going to make that last lift."

Osorio, 23, from San Francisco, has lifted more in training and is hopeful of making 170kg in the snatch and 221kg in clean and jerk before the year is out.

Maria Valdes, sixth and seventh in the past two Olympic Games, became Chile's only champion of the week when she won the women's 90kg from Crismery Santana of Dominican Republic, and Ecuador’s Oliba Nieve.

The finishing order in the snatch was Santana, Valdes, Nieve, while in the clean and jerk Valdes lifted 142kg, 3kg more than Santana, with Venezuela’s Naryuri Perez third.

Eleven different nations won medals.