Olympic Weightlifting double for China on Day 3
August 11, 2008
It is enough to have the hopes of a nation to carry let alone take on the strong men and women of the Olympic weightlifting competition. Today China’s best took on their opponents and walked away with a gold in the women’s 58kg and the men’s 62kg.
First up it was Chen Yanqing who won the women’s gold medal when she lifted a combined total of 244kg to easily win the competition. In second place with 227kg was Russia’s Marina Shainova. Bronze went to O Jong Ae of the Democratic Republic of Korea. Her total was 226kg.
For Chen it was her second Olympic gold medal following her win in Athens in the same weight division.
In the men’s 62kg event it was much the same story. China’s Zhang Xiangxiang dominated the proceedings with a combined total of 319kg to take the gold ahead of Colombia’s Diego Salazar who lifted 305kg.
Zhang needed only two successful lifts in the snatch and the clean and jerk to take the gold. He attempted a new world record after securing the gold in the clean and jerk however did not even get the bar up to his shoulders.
Zhang’s medal at the Beijing Olympics adds to the bronze medal he won in the 56kg event at the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
Following Zhang’s win China had a total of nine gold medals and lead the medal tally at the Beijing Olympics.
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