Chen wins China its first gold
Aug 9th, 2008 | By chetannarula | Category: Olympics, Weightlifting
Chinese weightlifter Chen Xiexia set an Olympic record as she won the hosts their first gold medal of the 2008 Games on the opening day. She took the 48kg class to huge cheers from the partisan crowd, clinching victory with a total of 212kg.
Turkey’s Sibel Ozkan’s total of 199kg earned silver, while Taiwanese lifter Chen Wei-Ling lifted 196kg for bronze.
Chen, 25, lifted 95kg in the snatch and set a new record for the class with 117kg in the clean and jerk. The 2004 Olympic champion, Nurcan Taylan of Turkey, was eliminated after three failed attempts in the snatch.
“I have been thinking of winning a medal but never thought it would turn out to be the first gold medal for China,” said an ecstatic Chen who sang the national anthem along with the crowd after recieving the medal.
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