News

Zielinski weighs in with gold

Poland's Adrian Edward Zielinski emerged triumphant by virtue of just 130 grams in bodyweight to claim Olympic gold after a star-studded cast in the men's 85kg fell by the wayside. Zielinski, the 2010 world champion, was level with Russia's 19-year-old lifter Apti Aukhadov on a total of 385kg after a thrilling competition - but with ties decided by the pre-weigh-in, it was Zielinski who proved marginally lighter on the scales (84.62kg to 84.75kg). Current world champion Kianoush Rostami, from Iran, had to settle for bronze after failing with his final lift of 214kg, which would have tied all three men on a 385kg total. A host of lifters went into the event with a real chance of victory but that leading pack was soon cut by three. Beijing 2008 silver medallist and world and Olympic record holder Andrei Rybakou, from Belarus, failed all three snatch attempts having been hindered by what appeared to be a right leg injury, as did Iran's Asian champion Sourab Moradi and France's Benjamin Didier Hennequin. Lu Yong took a slender lead into the interval having lifted a modest 178kg in the snatch - three kilos ahead of Aukhadov, four clear of Zielinski and seven from Rostami. But China's reigning gold medallist - the only man competing from the nation's eight winners at Beijing 2008 - floundered in the clean and jerk and he too was also eliminated after failing to get close with any of his attempts to lift 205kg. That left just Aukhadov, Zielinski and Rostami. And it was Zielinski who took his place on the top spot of the podium after lifting 211kg compared to Aukhadov (210kg) and Rostami

Podobedova takes gold for Kazakhstan

Svetlana Podobedova fulfilled a dream this afternoon as she won Olympic gold for Kazakhstan having seen off the threat from her two dominant Russian rivals. In a dramatic women's 75kg, Podobedova clinched gold with the final lift of the competition to deny Natalya Zabolotnaya - triumphing on bodyweight alone after the pair tied with a total of 291kg, smashing the Olympic record. Reigning world champion Nadezda Evstyukhina had earlier caused surprise when she tumbled out having failed with all three snatch attempts. Bronze went to Belarus' Iryna Kulesha, who came out with a 269kg

Lu lifts into record books

China's Lu Xiaojun got the better of injured compatriot Lu Haojie to claim gold and set new world and Olympic records in an action-packed men's 77kg Weightlifting tonight. The battle for gold and silver got off to a thrilling start as the pair exchanged 170kg attempts before Lu Haojie failed at 175kg, leaving Lu Xiaojun to succeed and beat his own world record while also setting an Olympic best. Lu Xiaojun then lifted a 204kg clean and jerk over his head and set a stunning total of 379kg, again eclipsing his own previous world achivements and taking Taner Sagir's Olympic record. Lu Haojie had previously taken to the stage to clean and jerk 190kg before passing on his next two attempts when it become clear he had sustained an arm injury, with his 360kg total still enough for silver. Cuba's Ivan Cambar Rodriguez edged a tight battle for bronze from Thailand's Chatuphum Chinnawong and Egypt's Ibrahim Ramadan

Rim boosts DPR Korea gold haul

Rim Jong Sim, from DPR Korea, has won gold in the women's 69kg Weightlifting division. She triumphed after a nailbiting competition to take DPR Korea's Weightlifting gold medal count to three at the 2012 Olympic Games and continue the nation's remarkable surprise performance. Rim's gold was confirmed on the penultimate lift while bodyweight alone separated second, third and fourth place. Roxana Daniela Cocos of Romania claimed silver, with Maryna Shkermankova of Belarus taking bronze ahead of unfortunate compatriot Dzina Sazanavets after all three tied on 256kg. The weight category was wide open after Russia's gold medal favourite Oksana Slivenko, world and European champion, was forced to withdraw last week due to

Lin lifts his way to title

Lin Qingfeng went some way to restoring China's reputation as the major power in Weightlifting after taking Olympic gold in the men's 69kg competition. China dominated proceedings on home soil four years ago, winning eight of the 15 golds on offer at Beijing 2008. But their position has been firmly challenged at London 2012, with China, DPR Korea and Kazakhstan each taking two golds from the first six on offer at ExCeL while the men's team were yet to stand on top of the winners' podium before today. But all that changed after Lin comprehensively took the field apart with a total of 344kg, with silver going to Indonesia's Triyatno (333kg) and Romania's 20-year-old Razvan Constantin Martin clinching bronze

Golden day for Maneza

Maiya Maneza turned the women's 63kg into a personal pursuit for Olympic and world records after clinching Weightlifting gold for Kazakhstan. All the talk going into the competition was of a duel between Maneza and Russia's Svetlana Tsarukaeva, with the two lifters going head-to-head for the previous three world championships. Tsarukaeva led at the interval after a snatch of 112kg compared to Maneza's 110kg, but the Russian's clean and jerk predictably let her down and 125kg (total 237kg) was only enough for silver. Maneza clinched gold with her first clean and jerk attempt at 135kg - equalling the Olympic record - before she set about trying to take her own world record of 143kg. Two failed lifts at 144kg meant it was not to be, but a 245kg total was enough for another Olympic record. Canada's Christine Girard (236kg) edged bronze ahead of Turkey's Sibel Simsek, making up for her agonising fourth place at the 2008 Beijing