Chinese Olympic champion Liao lifts clean sweep on men's 69kg at worlds

Liao Hui of China celebrates after making successful attempt during the men's 69kg category at the World Weightlifting Championships in Goyang, north of Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 22, 2009. Liao won the golds both in the snatch and clean and jerk, and claimed the title of the overall event with a total of 346kg. (Xinhua/He Lulu)
Olympic weightlifting champion Liao Hui of China swept the men's 69kg for three gold while his French arch-rival Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu did not get a total result at the ongoing worlds on Sunday.

The 22-year-old Liao, who was crowned the same category at his first participation of Olympics last year in Beijing, snatched 160kg and jerked 186kg to total 346kg.

His total result beat Armenia's Arakel Mirzoyan to the second by 12 kilos, while Indonesian Triyatno was the third on 330kg.

Romania's Ninel Miculescu, who snatched the second best of 155kg, only finished fourth with a total of 328kg after jerking 173kg and failed both his tries on 178kg and 180kg.


Silver medallist Arakel Mirzoyan (L) of Armenia, gold medallist Liao Hui (C) of China and bronze medallist Triyatno of Indonesia pose for pictures on the awarding podium following the men's 69kg category at the World Weightlifting Championships in Goyang, north of Seoul, South Korea, Nov. 22, 2009. (Xinhua/He Lulu)
France's Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu did not earn a total result as the Beijing Olympic silver medallist snatched 149kg to place only the fifth before failing all his three attempts on 185kg in the clean and jerk.

Liao, who originally called 190kg for his first jerk and didn't come out to the showcase until all other lifters failed their attempts on 185kg, lowered it to 186kg.

The weight was 4kg less than his title-winning jerk in Beijing Olympics and even more lower than what he lifted last month in China's National Games, but Liao only managed it on the second try and gave up his third after sealing the victory.

Source: Xinhua