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Men’s 56 kg new Mutlu on the scene?

Seventeen-year-old Chinese Long Qingquan became the new Olympic champion of 56 kilogram class after lifting a total of 292kg.The top favourite, last year's world Champion Cha Kum Chol of DPRK, missed his first two attempts in the snatch trying to lift 128kg. He finally succeeded, but already trailed behind Eko Yuli Irawan of Indonesia who lifted 130kg after three.Vietnamese Hoang Anh Tuan took two attempts to achieve the same result his Indonesian rival, 130kg.After three attempts, Long Qingquan lifted 132kg as the new junior world record for the snatch.Long started lifting 155kg with his first attempt, but was quickly matched by Hoang and Irawan. Long went on to a decisive finish at 160kg. Hoang reaction with the same weight came soon, but only succeeded after his third attempt. Long won the final with a total of 292kg, another world junior record. Runner-up Hoang Anh Tuan became the second Vietnamese athlete ever to win an Olympic medal, and bronze medalist Eko Yuli Irawan grabbed the first Olympic Weightlifting medal in his country's history among men.

PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES WOMEN’S 53 KG.

Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon /THA/, Gold medallist: "Last year I failed in clean and jerk at the WC, but I tried to practice and improve very hard. My goal was the Olympic gold and not the world record in clean and jerk. I am not unhappy because of the failed attempt. I am very happy achieving my final goal.A fortune teller told me I will be successful at the games if I change may name. I changed and I got the gold. But do not think it is so simple." Yong Jinhee /KOR/, Silver medallist: "We are all lucky that Chinese lifter did not start at this competition." Nastassia Novikava /BLR/, Bronze medallist: "My only goal was to do it successfully.I did not think of any medal. My personal coach was not here with me and this fact had a certain effect on my final result."

Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon /THA/ in 53 kg won with an Olympic record of 126 kg in clean and jerk.

Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon /THA/ in 53 kg won with an Olympic record of 126 kg in clean and jerk. The former Olympic record holder is Olympic Champion Yang Xia /CHN/ who set up her record of 125 kg in Sydney in 2000.

The third Olympic Gold for Thai weightlifting history.

Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon, previously known as Junpim Kuntatean just entered the competition at 120 kg in clean and jerk, when there were no more athletes competing.Finally she lifted an Olympic record of 126 kg and her final attempt on 130 kg world record failed.Her total of 221 kg was 8 kg ahead of silver medallist Yoon Jinhee /KOR/and bronze medallist Nastassia Novikava /BLR/, both of them totalled 213 kg. The Korean collected silver due to her lighter body weight.

Preview on men’s 56 kg Who is next after 12 years reign of Halil Mutlu?

After 12 years od reign 2007 world champion is Cha Kum Chol /PRK/ to step on 3 times Olympic champion, Halil Mutlus' place? He has many contenders. Long Quing quan /CHN/ making his international debut at age of 17. He is one of the favourites after his result at the Chinese national team trials this May, when he recorded total of 286 kg . However his relative inexperience could work against him. Ahn Tuan Hoang /VIE/ finished his preparation in Bulgaria and in in excellent shape. The Vietnamese knows very well this hall as he won the men's 56kg category gold medal at the "Good Luck" Beijing 2008 International Weightlifting Invitational Tournament in January. Hoang, silver medalist at the Doha Asian Games, was crowned with the gold for a two-lift total of 278 kg. Chinese lifter Lu Jinbi followed, with a total of 271kg, and Cuba's Serigo Alvarez got the bronze medal with the same weight of 271kg, though he is 0.05kg heavier than Lu. Moved to tears when Vietnam's national anthem resounded at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) Gymnasium, gold medalist Hoang said he was one of the best hopefuls for his country to win the gold in the Beijing Olympics. /Vietnam bagged home its first-ever Olympic medal with woman athlete Tran Hieu Ngan taking a taekwondo silver medal at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000./ Irawan of Indonesia belong to the new generation /19/. This year Asian championships he competed in 62 kg category, totalling 305 kg with 60 kg bodyweight. If he maintain his strength in this lower category he can be the surprise of the

Preview women 53 kg, there is no hot favourite in this evenly matched field.

Without a Chinese representative, there is no clear favourite in this category. Lisa Rumbewas/INA/ twice Olympic silver medallist hopes for gold for the third time. The Silver Lady won second place at 2006 WC as well. Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon /THA/ the runner up in last year's Asian Championships will be attempting to defend her country's Olympic title. Her entry total is 220 kg, like Yoon Linhee/KOR/. This is her first Olympic Games. She thinks 87 kg snatching and 125 in clean and jerk should be enough, but it depends on fate according to her mind. She said athletes from Belarus and Korea will be tough to compete against. Of course, she is very satisfied not having Chinese name on the start list. She has the highest total of the group /218kg/, she recorded at Asian Championships in 2007.The most hopeful European lifter is Novikava /BLR/ silver medal at 2007 WC. She thinks her main rival is the Thai lifter. 'All I need is to lift what I have been lifting at training. It should be enough for a medal chance" - she