Chen Xiexia wins China 1st gold medal at Beijing Olympics

Chen Xiexia wins China 1st gold medal at Beijing Olympics

Gold medalist Chen Xiexia of China shows the gold medal at the awarding ceremony of the women's 48kg weightlifting event at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 9, 2008. Chen won the first gold for the Chinese Delegation with a total of 212 kilos. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)


EIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's Chen Xiexia won the women's 48kg weightlifting title, the first gold medal for the host at the Beijing Olympic Games here on Saturday.

Chen snatched 95kg and jerked 117kg for a winning total of 212kg, a new Olympic record. It's also the country's first Olympic gold in this category.

"I'm very happy to be informed (it's the first gold for China). It added different meaning to the medal," said Chen.

Despite competing on home soil, Chen didn't feel a lot of pressure. "What I thought was to make every good attempt and achieve as much as I can," said the 25-year-old.

However, Chinese weightlifting team leader Ma Wenguang said he shed tears when Chen successfully made her first attempt in snatch.

He revealed that Chen was injured 28 days ago during a training session when attempting to jerk 115kg, which she succeeded in her second attempt in Saturday's competition.

"All the pressure is worthwhile," Ma said.

China's deputy chef-de-mission Cui Dalin said it's a good start for the Chinese delegation as Chen overcome pressure to win the gold.

"It will be a great inspiration to the whole delegation," he said.

Chen, gold medallist of the 2007 world championships, was in a good form in Saturday's competition, shouted "Hey! Go!" to cheer herself up before all the six successful attempts she made. All home fans roared and applauded to cheer the hot favorite.

China has dominated this category by winning 17 gold medals out of the total 19 world championships since 1987, however, it lost the title to Turkey in Athens Games and didn't enter the class at the Sydney Games, when the women's 48kg division was included for the first time.

Chen played a sure-win game on Saturday in the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics (BUAA) gym, as nobody posed a real threat to her during the event.

The silver was taken by junior world champion Sibel Ozkan of Turkey at 199kg. Chen Wei-Ling of Chinese Taipei settled for the bronze at 196kg.

Defending Olympic champion Nurcan Taylan of Turkey and Pramsiri Bunphithak, silver medallist of 2007 World Championships, both of whom had been tipped as Chen's major rivals at the Games, withdrew from the competition as they failed all three attempts in snatch.


Chen Xiexia (C) of China, Sibel Ozkan (L) of Turkey and Chen Wei-Ling (R) of Chinese Taipei wave to spectators at the awarding ceremony of the women's 48kg of weightlifting event at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 9, 2008. Chen Xiexia, Sibel Ozkan and Chen Wei-Ling won the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Chen Xiexia (C) of China, Sibel Ozkan(2nd L) of Turkey and Chen Wei-Ling(2nd R) of Chinese Taipei stand at the podium at the awarding ceremony of the women's 48kg final of weightlifting event at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games at the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Astronautics Gymnasium in Beijing, China, Aug. 9, 2008. Chen Xiexia, Sibel Ozkan and Chen Wei-Ling won the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)


Chen Xiexia of China takes a good clean and jerk lift to win the first gold for the Chinese Delegation with 95 kilos in the snatch and 117 in the clean and jerk for a total of 212 kilos at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in the women’s 48kg weightlifting in Beijing, China, Aug. 9, 2008. Chen broke the Olympic record in this event. (Xinhua/Wu Wei)


Factbox on Olympic weightlifting champion Chen Xiexia



BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Following is the factbox on Chen Xiexia, Olympic weightlifting champion in women's 48kg category:

Name: Chen Xiexia

Date of Birth: Jan, 8 1983, in Panyu City, Guangdong Province, China

Height: 152cm

Bodyweight: 47.46kg

Olympic entry total: 210kg

Olympic performance: total: 212kg (snatch: 95kg; clean and jerk: 117kg)

Career highlights: gold at 2008 Beijing Olympics;

three golds (snatch, clean and jerk, and the total) in 2007 World Championships;

three golds in 2007 Asian Championships

World records: 120kg clean and jerk, created in 2007 Asian Championships


Factbox on Chinese weightlifting



BEIJING, Aug. 9 (Xinhua) -- Following is the factbox on Chinese weightlifting:

-- Chen Jingkai, in the men's 56kg category, lifted 133kg in Shanghai on June 7th 1956, breaking the clean and jerk world record held by American Vinci, making weightlifting the first sport to set a world record in China's sports history. Chen also became the first Chinese to hold a world record.

-- China has organized nearly 30 major weightlifting competitions including the Asian Games in 1990, the World Championships and the Asian Championships in 1995.

-- China has sent teams to almost 100 international events during which 15 Chinese lifters gained 16 Olympic gold medals, over 100 lifters won more than 100 world championships gold medals and set nearly 300 world records.

-- China got four weightlifting gold medals in men's events at 1984 Los Angles Olympics.

Zeng Guoqiang 52kg class

Wu Shude 56kg class

Chen Weiqiang 60kg class

Yao Jingyuan 67.5kg class

China gained two weightlifting gold medals in men's events at 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Tang Lingsheng 52kg class

Zhan Xugang 70kg class

China got five weightlifting gold medals at 2000 Sydney Olympics, when women's events were included in the Olympics.

Zhan Xugang men's 77kg class

Yang Xia women's 53kg class

Chen Xiaomin women's 63kg class

Lin Weining women's 69kg class

Ding Meiyuan women's +75kg class

China got five weightlifting gold medals at 2004 Athens Olympics.

Shi Zhiyong men's 62kg class

Zhang Guozheng men's 69kg class

Chen Yanqing women's 58kg class

Liu Chunhong women's 69kg class

Tang Gonghong women's +75kg class

-- China has sent more than 30 experts and coaches to foreign countries and regions to help promote and develop the sport of weightlifting in the past decade.