Russian sandwich with Chinese flavor in the middle
Xiang Yanmei this year's 75 kg Asian Champion moved to 69 kg to fight against a very strong Russian duo. The junior lifter performed well with three correct attempts finishing snatch at 116 kg. This weight made Huang (TPE) unworried as well. After six years absence the 36 years old athlete returned with a bronze medal. Last year's World Championship bronze medalist Daluzyan (ARM) had no correct attempt and she had to pack and leave instead of preparing for clean and jerk. After her successful participation with three gold medals during the last three European Championships Russian Oxana Slivenko wanted to win her third World Championships gold medal as well. Before the last attempt the question was open who would own gold, silver and bronze medal. Finally Slivenko was taking the gold with 118 kg. The other Russian lady Matveeva was far behind her by 8 kg ranked fourth. Not too many thought another Matveeva appeared in clean and clerk. After reaching fourth place in the snatch she took revenge in clean and jerk. She was able to catch position number three after her143 kg in clean and jerk. Huang missed her last attempt (140 kg) and at the same time she missed her third position and had to be satisfied with her rank number four. 69 kg ended up being a fierce competition for top honors. Xiang jumped 8 kg for her second clean and jerk exercise and the 19 years old athlete took over the lead. At this time the competition was nothing else just the battle of stategies. Slivenko regained her leading position by 148 kg. 151 kg was needed to win. 19 years old Xiang tried but she was not able to handle 151 kg in clean and jerk. For her first appearance at World championship she was good for a silver medal. Slivenko became World Champion for the third time after 2006 and 2007. Women's 69kg Press Conference Women's 69kg weight class faced a demanding competition as several universal icons had competed at this category, but finally Russia's Oxana Slivenko could select three gold medals. Attending the press conference, when Oxana was asked if she had planned to set new world record as she did great performances, she said although she really wanted to do so, the current world records in both clean and jerk and snatch was very high. Adding she would do her best to beat the records in Olympic Games, despite the fact that she did not like to say anything in advance and that time would reveal everything. Oxana also said that she has been training with the Russian bronze medalist Tatiana Matveeva since 2001 and have been both members of national team for ten years.Asked if she knew her young Chinese competitor, Oxana declared her attitude to each competitor was very positive, and doesn't regard them as her rivals but colleagues. The Chinese competitor was very young and achieved very good results, but added her real competitors were Armenia's Meline Daluzyan, Tatiana and like every competition Chinese athletes. Praised for her nice hair style, Oxana said it was not just a style for competition; she usually did it as it was very comfortable and nice. Chinese silver medalist Yanmei Xiang congratulated her Russian friends and said she would do her best to be qualified to participate in the Olympic Games. Yanmei who could not clean and jerk 151kg to win gold medal, declared she had formerly elevated 151kg overhead in training sessions. She revealed that she had to change her category from 75kg, in which she was Asian Championships gold medallist, to 69 kg due to her body weight, and to guarantee she would select medals. Yanmei then added she might beat the world junior record in clean and jerk in short time.Meanwhile she could not provide the curious journalists with reasonable answer over the time of China's national competitions to choose the Olympic competitors. Saying the time has not been yet decided. Russia's bronze medalist Tatiana Matveeva, also at the conference, said snatch was not her strong point, and after the competition for snatch she was quite sure she would get the bronze medal.
