Records fall as Chinshanlo takes gold
Baku, July 30 (AZERTAC). Kazakhstan`s Zulfiya Chinshanlo won Weightlifting gold in the women`s 53kg, setting new Olympic and world records in the process. Chinshanlo lifted 131kg in the clean and jerk - a new Olympic and world best - to set a total 226kg - another Olympic record. The reigning world champion, who turned 19 this week, had earlier produced a snatch of 95kg. Chair of the London 2012 Organising Committee, Sebastian Coe, was watching and said afterwards: `You don`t see world records every week. It was a fantastic piece of sport.`
Hsu Shu-Ching, from Chinese Taipei, edged silver ahead of Republic of Moldova`s Cristina Iovu by the slimmest of margins. Having tied with a total of 219kg, Hsu`s marginally lighter bodyweight saw her push Iovu into the bronze-medal position. In the morning`s 53kg Group B, Vietnam`s Thi Thuy Nguyen edged Yu Weili, from Hong Kong, also by the virtue of a lighter bodyweight after they both tied on a total of 195kg. They sealed eighth and ninth place respectively following the Group A competition. Chinshanlo was congratulated by Kazakhstan president Nursultan Nazarbayev at the ExCeL after being presented with the gold medal. `He came and said congratulations, but I won`t tell you how much money he will give me. I am afraid I will be robbed,` laughed Chinshanlo. Hsu was also overjoyed to be heading home with a silver medal. She said: `I am so happy I don`t have the words to describe it.` Third-placed Iovu claimed Moldova`s first-ever Weightlifting medal. `I am very, very happy, I couldn`t be happier,` she said. `Of course it would have been brilliant to come second but it was difficult and the weights were heavy.`
Other news in this section
