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Men’s 94 kg: Press conference quotes

Ilya Ilin (KAZ), gold medallist:   "In my second snatch I hurt my elbow and the doctor tried to fix it. I was worried that I could not compete, but my coach helped me and gave me confidence. He helped me stand up psychologically. In the clean and jerk I got 226kg. I began to congratulate myself because I had done my best. If others had lifted more than me, they are good boys. I would have been happy for them."   Szymon Kolecki (POL), silver medallist:   "I should have won by 6 good attempts, but I was able just for 5."     Khadzhimurat Akkaev (RUS), bronze medallist: (after his competition was over in group B):  "I think my 402 kg should be enough for winning the gold medal. I came just for gold and not for silver or bronze."   (after the competition was over in group A):  "It was my coach's greatest mistake he ever did by stopping me to start together with the highest quality of athletes in this class."

Men’s 94 kg: Kazakhstan’s first Beijing gold and at the same time the country’s first ever Olympic weightlifting gold medal

Ilya Ilin (KAZ), winner of the 2006 WC was among the favorites to win the gold, along with Szymon Kołecki (POL), world record holder in clean and jerkl and Nizami Pashayev (AZE), the world champion in 2005. Pashayev did best among the lifters in the snatch, reaching 181kg after three attempts. Ilin gave up his third attempt after lifting 180kg to reserve some energy. Kołecki lifted 179kg. The 2008 Asian champion, Asghar Ebrahimi of Iran, also lifted 180kg.They were so close to each other nothing was sure about the final outcome. The real battle came in the clean and jerk. Pashayev surprisingly failed his first two attempts at 215kg. He eventually succeeded with his last trial, but his chance of winning had slipped away. On the other hand, world recorder holder Kołecki only lifted a conservative 217kg with his first attempt. Pashayev AZE Ilin directly tried for 223kg with his first attempt but failed. His strategy forced Kołecki to increase his second attempt to 224kg. Both succeeded in their second attempts and tied at 403kg, but Ilin's 0.09kg less body weight put him in first place. Under huge pressure, Kołecki changed his weight for the last attempt and let Ilin lift first. Ilin completed 226kg successfully, then Kołecki asked for 228kg, 4kg less then his world record, but he failed. Khadzhimurat Akkaev (RUS) started in group B only snatched176kg, but an excellent 223kg helped him handed him the bronze medal. Kolecki POL Akkaev RUS

IWF President welcomed LOCOG 2012 officials

IWF President welcomed LOCOG 2012 officials, Ms. Deborah Jevans, Director of Sport and Mr. David Luckes, Head of Sports Competition for a meeting on the London

85 countries on spot

85 countries' athletes take part at the Games as Indian lifter, Ms. Laishram Monika Devi (69kg) was withdrawn from the competition by the Indian Olympic Association. Mubarak Musoke Kivumbi (56kg) from Uganda could not participate as he could not make his bodyweight at the weigh-in. Jaber Saeed Salem (+105kg) will miss the Games as well because of an injury - reported by the Qatar NOC.

Men’s 94 kg: An opened field

Szymon Kolecki (POL) Roman Konstantinov (RUS) Out of the six medalists who won in the last two Olympic Games, only the silver winners, Szymon Kolecki (POL) and Khadzhimurat Akkaev (RUS), are participating in this year's competition. Kolecki also clinched third place in the 2007 WC held in Chiangmai, and second place in the 2006 WC in Santo Domingo. Akkaev has to start in group B. It would not be a surprise if he could manage from group B to come through for a medal. The two are highly expected to claim honors again for their countries. Roman Konstantinov (RUS) is also a competitive weightlifter in this category. He ranked first in both the snatch and total weight at the 2007 WC, and in the 2006 WC he lifted the largest weight in the snatch for a third place finish in the total. The 25-year-old also won the 2007 European Championship in. Yoandry Hernandez(CUB) Also expected to perform well is Yoandry Hernandez(CUB), who clinched first place in the clean and jerk and second in total weight at the 2007 WC.

Jang’s impressive performance resulted five new world records.

Jang Miran (KOR) was absolutely unsatisfied with the fact her name was not mentioned on any type of record list before the last competiton started in +75 kg class. She really had a stong desire to rewrite the record lists and really showed top form setting up five new world and seven Olympic records at the same time at the Beijing Olympics. First she smashed snatch Olympic record by 136 kg. This discipline's former record holder was in Ding Mei Yuan scored 135 kg in Sydney in 2000. The next step was to make a push on Mu's world record of 139 kg lifted in Doha WC in 2006. Jang was succesful with 140 kg. She dominated clean and jerk as well. It was the last time to see Tang's name as a current record holder on the scoreboard as Jang's first lift (175 kg) resulted a new Olympic record of 315 kg in total. Tang Gonghong's clean and jerk world and Olympic record set up in Athens in 2004 (182 kg) was broken by 183 kg. It meant new world and Olympic record in total (323 kg) as weel. By her exceptional performance at her last attempt Jang set up clean and jerk (186 kg) and total (326 kg) world and Olympic record