Tweet
A REAL PICK ME UP /WHO NEEDS U.S. AS CHINESE OVERWHELM OPPONENTS IN HEAVY-METAL COMPETITION
John Crumpacker, [email protected]
San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
USA
(08-12) 21:10 PDT Beijing -- - As it turns out, the world of Olympic
sports does not revolve around the fortunes of the U.S. team, 596
strong and locked in a battle with China for most medals.
Ten weight lifters in the men's 69-kilogram class (151.8 pounds) did
just fine without a single American in the field. In fact, there were
precious few Americans even in the Beijing University of Aeronautics
and Astronautics Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The competition featured a world without the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Central America, South America and virtually all of Western
Europe save a Frenchman by way of Cameroon.
Lifters ranging in height from 5-foot-2 to 5-6 from China, the two
Koreas, Thailand, Cuba, Armenia, France and Azerbaijan competed for
medals while hoisting more than twice their body weights over their
heads without collapsing in ruin.
China continued its rampage through the weight-lifting classes
and has now won a gold medal in every division it entered, men and
women. Favorite Liao Hui provided the requisite thrills for the home
crowd when he lifted a total of 765.6 pounds for the gold medal in
the men's 69 kg category.
"My first coach is a very persistent person," Liao said of mentor Gan
Yongkui. "At the very beginning, my parents didn't approve of weight
lifting, but my coach was very persistent. He came to my house three
times to persuade my parents that I was good weight-lifting material. I
really appreciate him."
The 5-6 strongman hoisted 347.6 pounds in the snatch and 418 pounds in
the clean and jerk for that 765.6 total. It was more than enough to
distance himself from the silver medalist, Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu
of France, who lifted 743.6 pounds (332.2 plus 411.4).
Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan of Armenia lifted the same amount, 743.6
pounds, but got the bronze medal because he weighed in at 1.2 pounds
more than Dabaya-Tientcheu.
There is plenty of strategy involved in Olympic weight lifting in
addition to the elemental act of hefting an extremely heavy object over
one's head. Dabaya-Tientcheu tried to steal the night from Liao and
his Chinese partisans but the mind, and thus the body, was not willing.
For his third and final lift in the clean and jerk, Dabaya-Tientcheu
requested 197 kilos, or 433.4 pounds. A successful lift would bring
him into a tie with Liao and the gold medal because he weighed 1.3
pounds less than the Chinese lifter.
Twice Dabaya-Tientcheu failed to lift the heavy bar over his head,
and the gold went to Liao in a most popular decision with the noisy,
chanting fans.
"I saw on the TV that he successfully lifted 187," Liao said. "He
looked to lift it easily. So when he was about to lift 197, I was
worried. I was really nervous."
Thirty minutes before the heavy lifting commenced, 11 female Chinese
cheerleaders stormed into the gym wearing electric yellow-green
dance outfits and armed with American-style Thunder Stix to whip up
enthusiasm for men smelling of chalk dust and sweat.
Hokey, to be sure, but a darn sight superior to the laughably bad
cheerleaders Turin trotted out at the emotionally dead 2006 Winter
Olympics.
The whole thing took a tidy two hours and fans went home happy. The
U.S. team might be a mighty one, but weight lifting is not a
strength. No one seemed to mind on a night given over to China and
France and Armenia. And you, too, Azerbaijan.
John Crumpacker, [email protected]
San Francisco Chronicle
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
USA
(08-12) 21:10 PDT Beijing -- - As it turns out, the world of Olympic
sports does not revolve around the fortunes of the U.S. team, 596
strong and locked in a battle with China for most medals.
Ten weight lifters in the men's 69-kilogram class (151.8 pounds) did
just fine without a single American in the field. In fact, there were
precious few Americans even in the Beijing University of Aeronautics
and Astronautics Gymnasium on Tuesday night.
The competition featured a world without the United States, Canada,
Mexico, Central America, South America and virtually all of Western
Europe save a Frenchman by way of Cameroon.
Lifters ranging in height from 5-foot-2 to 5-6 from China, the two
Koreas, Thailand, Cuba, Armenia, France and Azerbaijan competed for
medals while hoisting more than twice their body weights over their
heads without collapsing in ruin.
China continued its rampage through the weight-lifting classes
and has now won a gold medal in every division it entered, men and
women. Favorite Liao Hui provided the requisite thrills for the home
crowd when he lifted a total of 765.6 pounds for the gold medal in
the men's 69 kg category.
"My first coach is a very persistent person," Liao said of mentor Gan
Yongkui. "At the very beginning, my parents didn't approve of weight
lifting, but my coach was very persistent. He came to my house three
times to persuade my parents that I was good weight-lifting material. I
really appreciate him."
The 5-6 strongman hoisted 347.6 pounds in the snatch and 418 pounds in
the clean and jerk for that 765.6 total. It was more than enough to
distance himself from the silver medalist, Vencelas Dabaya-Tientcheu
of France, who lifted 743.6 pounds (332.2 plus 411.4).
Tigran Gevorg Martirosyan of Armenia lifted the same amount, 743.6
pounds, but got the bronze medal because he weighed in at 1.2 pounds
more than Dabaya-Tientcheu.
There is plenty of strategy involved in Olympic weight lifting in
addition to the elemental act of hefting an extremely heavy object over
one's head. Dabaya-Tientcheu tried to steal the night from Liao and
his Chinese partisans but the mind, and thus the body, was not willing.
For his third and final lift in the clean and jerk, Dabaya-Tientcheu
requested 197 kilos, or 433.4 pounds. A successful lift would bring
him into a tie with Liao and the gold medal because he weighed 1.3
pounds less than the Chinese lifter.
Twice Dabaya-Tientcheu failed to lift the heavy bar over his head,
and the gold went to Liao in a most popular decision with the noisy,
chanting fans.
"I saw on the TV that he successfully lifted 187," Liao said. "He
looked to lift it easily. So when he was about to lift 197, I was
worried. I was really nervous."
Thirty minutes before the heavy lifting commenced, 11 female Chinese
cheerleaders stormed into the gym wearing electric yellow-green
dance outfits and armed with American-style Thunder Stix to whip up
enthusiasm for men smelling of chalk dust and sweat.
Hokey, to be sure, but a darn sight superior to the laughably bad
cheerleaders Turin trotted out at the emotionally dead 2006 Winter
Olympics.
The whole thing took a tidy two hours and fans went home happy. The
U.S. team might be a mighty one, but weight lifting is not a
strength. No one seemed to mind on a night given over to China and
France and Armenia. And you, too, Azerbaijan.