BEIJING -- Chinese weightlifter Chen Yanqing retained her women's 58kg Olympic title in Beijing on Monday with a total result of 244kg.
Chen, 29, has become the first strongwoman in the world to successfully defend her Olympic title since the women's weightlifting entered summer Olympics in 2000 Sydney.
Marina Shainova from Russia took the silver medal with a total of 227kg, while O Jong Ae from DPR Korea got the bronze with 226kg, beating Thai Wandee Kameaim who also cleared a total of 226kg to the fourth place due to less bodyweight.
No one was able to make any trouble for the defending champion and record holder. She finished with 106kg in snatch, leaving the second-ranked lifter seven kilograms behind.
She jerked 132kg in her second attempt, renewed the Olympic record of 131kg, which was newly set by the DPRK lifter one minute earlier, and bettered the Olympic total record by one kilo. Only two minutes later, she rewrote them again, raising the clean and jerk record to 138kg and total to 244.
The rest all focused on the fighting for the silver and bronze as they were very close to each other.
Russian lifter successfully stood out from the scuffle by snatching 98kg and jerking 129. Her total was only one kilo heavier than O and Wandee.
Shainova said said her training performance is better than the result, however, she was still satisfied with her performance.
"Chen is too strong," she said.
The DPRK lifter felt the same.
O Jong Ae succeeded in her risky third attempt of 131kg while Wandee failed her last attempt of 129. O said she was under great pressure after her two teammates failed in the men's 56kg category on Sunday. She jerked 125kg in her first attempt and failed the second of 131kg, which nearly cost her medal hope.
"I want to get gold next time," she said.
