Records fall as Chinshanlo takes gold
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.’
Source: London 2012
