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Dramatic battle in 75kg

Among the 23 entries of the women`s 75kg category, as many as two Russian big shots ? 4-times junior world champion Nadezhda Evstyukhina and Olympic bronze-medal winner, world champion Zarema Kasaeva teamed up to block the victory of Chinese newcomer Cao Lei. By the end of the first half of the competition, their plot seemed to work because Evstyukhina won gold with a lead of 4 kilos on the Chinese. The clean and jerk brought about a big turn. The Russian forced her opponent to 150kg hoping that Cao Lei would miss it and she would not need to take it any more. The Chinese, however, did jerk this weight, while the Russian could not. This way, China continues to reign in the 75kg. Cao Lei

Rybakou: Three gold medals

Men`s 85kg: Andrei Rybakou of Belarus had long wanted to win gold overall but he managed to collect titles only in snatch so far. On this lift he had been the best of the world for several years, yet he was not able to add the titles in jerk and total. Finally, in Santo Domingo Rybakou changed practices and excelled also in the clean and jerk, winning the total with a comfortable 10-kilo lead. In silver-medal winning position finished Aslanbek Ediev (RUS) and the bronze was taken by Tigran Martirosyan (ARM). In snatch Rybakou made two attempts to break the world record with 187kg but ? although very close ? he missed both times. 44 lifters competed in this category.Andrei Rybakou

Olympic champion defeated

Women`s 69kg: Major surprise in this category of 26 entries. We had never seen this before: Liu Chunhong of China could not step on the top of the podium of medals. the Olympic and 5-time senior world champion was defeated by Russian Oxana Slivenko, a first-time participant in the senior worlds field.Alone the fact that Liu Chunhong had chosen this category was a surprise, as she had recently swept the 75kg. The matchpoint came in snatch, when Liu made a mistake and had an injured elbow, forcing her to retire.In contrast, Russian Slivenko was at her prime and snatched a new world record ? improving Liu`s previous mark to 123kg. Slivenko`s ultimate victory was no longer questioned. We saw a wonderful performance by 26-year old Jeane Elizabeth Lassen, winning a bronze in total for Canada and a silver in clean and jerk.Oxana Slivenko

Another victory for China

Women`s 63kg: It was Quyang Xiaofang`s duty to continue the streak of Chinese victories in the women`s 63kg (29 competitors) - and she duly delivered. All the three gold medals, in snatch, clean and jerk and total went to Quyang and not to Russia`s gold-medal favourite Svetlana Shimkova.This outcome, however, was not to be foreseen before the final round of attempts. In snatch, the Chinese woman was at the verge of dropping out when she managed to complete her third lift at 110kg. In clean and jerk, the current owner of the world record (141kg), Shimkova took two attempts at the winning 139kg, but she failed both times. The bronzes were collected by Meline Daluzyan of ARM, junior European champion.Quyang Xiaofang

Three new world champions crowned

Women`s 58kg:  The category fielding 30 competitors featured the first encounter between a Russian and a Chinese favourite. In the first part Russian Svetlana Tsarukaeva defeated her Chinese opponent by 1 kg, but Qiu Hongmei took back the lead in clean and jerk, sweeping in the total gold medal. Meanwhile, Wandee Kameaim of Thailand became victorious in clean and jerk. Thus the women`s 58kg celebrated three new world champions. Qiu Hongmei attempted to break a world record in jerk but she failed.Qiu Hongmei

Stars meet in a facedown in 77kg

Men`s 77kg: In the category counting 51 participants we saw the first ever facedown between the Olympic champion, 21-year old Turkish Taner Sagir and the defending world champion Chinese . Sagir had first become an Olympic champion in Athens 2004, before eventually capturing his first world title in Santo Domingo. In the snatch, Li Hongli took the gold medal, whereas the clean and jerk title went to Oleg Perepetchenov (RUS), who had zeroed in snatch. Sagir did not only work off his disadvantage in clean and jerk, but he gained as much lead that made it unnecessary for him to take a third attempt to be awarded the total gold in the 77kg. Li Hongli CHN Sagir Taner