PREVIEW: CHINESE WEIGHTLIFTER SHI SEEKING SECOND OLYMPIC GOLD

Xinhua

2008-08-11 15:13:58
China

BEIJING, Aug. 11 (Xinhua) — Chinese weightlifting star Shi Zhiyong
will bid to win his second Olympic gold Tuesday in the men’s 69kg
division, while Russian Svetlana Tsarukaeva and Pak Hyon Suk of DPR
Korea is expected to establish a fierce competition in the women’s
63kg class.

Following his triumph in the men’s 56kg at the Athens Games, Shi
upgraded to the 69kg division in Beijing, where he will compete
alongside compatriot Liao Hui.

Under the Olympic rules that limit each NOC to a maximum of four
lifters each for men’s and women’s event, this is the only event that
powerhouse China send two lifters.

The 21-year-old Liao edged out defending Olympic champion Zhang
Guozheng in the domestic Olympic qualification competition after he
lifted an amazing a total of 355kg.

China has dominated the division since 2004, but Armenian Tigran
Gevorg Martirosyan came from nowhere to claim the title in the European
Championships this year with a total of 346kg. Martirosyan and Athen’s
runner-up Lee Baeyoung will post a strong challenge to the Chinese duo.

In the women’s 63kg, Svetlana Tsarukaeva will go out for Russia’s
first weightlifting gold medal. She won the silver medal of 2007 World
Championship in Chiang Mai, Thailand with 250kg. With the absence of
Chinese world champion Liu Haixia, Tsarukaeva is the hot title favorite
as her 250kg result was well beyond the capability of other lifters.

Tsarukaeva’s main rivals will include Pak Hyon Suk, bronze medalist
of last year’s world championship and a pair of Kazakhanstan’s dark
horses. Irina Nekrassova and Maya Maneza both claimed 241 entry total
weights, which toped all 20 qualifiers.

"All our women lifters have the hope to go for medals," said Baturbek
Ozdoev, coach of Kazakhstan women’s team.

China didn’t enter the women’s 63kg division.