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It was a perfect day for Andrei Aramnau (BLR) as he won the gold medal of this class. Aramnau, 20, did not miss a lift and he became the first lifter in this category to snatch 200kg, a junior and senior world record. Marcin Dolega (POL) who held the old record at 199kg, tried to reclaim it with his third attempt but failed with 201kg.

Clean and jerk of 230kg won the gold medal for Aramnau. He then claimed all the world records with his last attempt, 236kg for the clean and jerk mark and 436kg for the total.By one attempt he set up 6 new records: World record, Olympic record and junior world record both in clean and jerk and in total.

A tight battle developed for the silver and bronze medals. Dolega’s 195kg snatch had him just ahead Dmitriy Klokov (RUS)on 193kg, Bakhyt Akhmetov (KAZ) on 190kg, Dmitry Lapikov (RUS) also on 190kg and last Olympic’s silver medallist Igor Razoronov of (UKR) a further 3kg behind on 187kg.

Dolega only success with 225kg gave him a total of 420kg.

Lapikov edged him out for the bronze on lighter bodyweight when he jerked 230kg for the same total and then Klokov passed them both with 230kg for a 423kg total and silver.

Razoronov, a 38-year-old veteran tried for the bronze with 234kg. He cleaned this weight but the jerk proved to be beyond him.

Aramnau’s victory was Belarus’ first gold medal in Beijing, and its first ever in weightlifting as an independent nation.