Women's Weightlifting Worlds: Stars Shine, China Dominates

Home>>Sports

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Monday, November 25, 2002

Women's Weightlifting Worlds: Stars Shine, China Dominates

The 15th Women's World Weightlifting Championships concluded Sunday evening in Warsaw with five world records broken nine times.

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

The 15th Women's World Weightlifting Championships concluded Sunday evening in Warsaw with five world records broken nine times.

During the six-day 21-gold competitions, China no doubt dominated the platform by collecting nine golds, eight silvers andone bronze.

China's 48kg-category lifter Wang Mingjuan, who swept the snatch, jerk and total golds and broke the three world records sixtimes, was definitely the most shinning star in Warsaw.

Russia, another weightlifting powerhouse boasting advantage in some middle- and heavy-weight categories in particular, followed China closely on the medal standings with five golds, two silvers and three bronzes.

Thanks to the brilliant performance of Pawina Thongsuk, who beat Russian talent veteran Valentina Popova and world records holder Liu Chunhong of China to take the women's 69kg jerk and total golds, Thailand occupied the third place on the medal tally with two golds, three silvers and three bronzes.

Polish ace lifter Agata Wrobel clinched the over 75kg jerk and total golds and snatch silver on the last day to not only save theface of the hosts but also send her motherland to the fourth placeon the tally with the two golds and one silver.

DPR Korean star Ri Song-hui, who stunned the world at the BusanAsiad with a title and new world record, grabbed the women's 53kg snatch and total golds and jerk silver here to lift her country tothe fifth place on the tally with two golds and a sliver. She alsoset the new world record of 125.5kgs in the jerk but it was refreshed by Chinese Li Xuejiu with 127.5kgs one minute later.

The sixth place on the tally was occupied by Greece, the hosts of 2004 Olympic Games, with one gold, three silvers and two bronzes. Anastasia Tsakiri, a Greek medical student, lifted 136kgsto break the women's 63kg jerk world record of 135.5kgs and took the gold.

The other countries which got medals in the championships were Turkey with three silvers and one bronze, Bulgaria with six bronzes, the United States with two bronzes, Egypt with two bronzes and Canada with one bronze.

Altogether 37 countries and regions sent teams to compete in the championships, which saw China on the top of the team classification with a total of 494 points.

The top eight teams also included Russia with 481 points, Bulgaria 319, Hungary 317, Greece 310, Ukraine 285, Spain 283 and Poland 277.

So far, not a single doping scandal emerged in the competition.

Chinese weightlifting team manager Ma Wenguang said:"China sentyoung but ace lifters to Warsaw to practise for 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games. We achieved our aim in the competitions."

"Although we are still strong in some categories, the light-weight ones in particular, we have seen that our advantage over foreign athletes has been less and less. I predict that the next year's championships will be tougher for our lifters." he added.

"Many traditional weightlifting powerhouses in Europe and DPR Korea in Asia have paid more and more attention to the women's lifting which is an Olympic event. Their ace lifters do and will pose more and more severe threat to our athletes." he noted.

Questions?Comments? Click here

China, Russia, Bulgaria Split Three Golds in Men's 77kg Class

Chinese Li Wins Men's 77kg Snatch Gold at Weightlifting Worlds

China Sweeps 5 Golds, Greek Breaks World Record on 3rd Day of Worlds

Cabbage Tells Changes of Beijingers' Life ( 12 Messages)

A 'Xiaokang' Society Means Not Merely Money ( 5 Messages)

China Starts Working out Law on Citizen ID Card ( 33 Messages)

Differences between US and NATO Widen: Opinion ( 2 Messages)

Sino-US Relations Improve Despite Neo-realism ( 27 Messages)