Zhou Lulu of China poses at awarding ceremony of women's +75kg weightlifting competition, at London 2012 Olympic Games in London, Britain, on August 5, 2012. Zhou Lulu claimed title in this event. (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)
Chinese lifter Zhou Lulu proved herself the strongest woman on earth by lifting a total of 333kg in the +75kg division, breaking her own total world record of 328kg to win gold at London Olympics on Sunday.
The competition for the gold medal was intense between Zhou and Russian lifter Tatiana Kashirina. Both lifters opened with record smashing weight, as Zhou successfully lifted 142kg and Kashirina managed 144 in their first attempts, putting the previous 140kg snatch Olympic record, set by South Korean Jang Mi-Ran in 2008, into history book.
Zhou later asked for 146kg on the bar and managed to get three white lights in the third attempt. However, Kashirina, the current snatch world record holder, broke her own 148kg record twice by hoisting 149kg and 151kg.
In clean and jerk, Zhou managed to jerk 181kg and 187kg, 6kg more than Kashirina's attempts and put pressure on the Russian to take a risk. Kashirina jerked 175kg and 181kg but failed at 187kg in her third attempt and handed the gold medal to Zhou.
Setting the new total record of 333kg, Zhou went for 190kg in the final attempt but was unable to lift the mark even higher.
"Today I'm not very happy with my snatches, but I have confidance in clean and jerk because I jerked 190kg during training. I'm glad the gold medal in this category is back to China again." Zhou said.
Kashirina won silver with a total of 332kg. She said she's pleased with the results.
"I put a lot of energy into the snatch. With 151kg I beat my own world record of 148kg. In the clean and jerk the legs are very important, and in this my legs let me down."
Armenia lifter Hripsime Khurshudyan won the bronze medal with 294kg in total. She became the first woman representing Armenia to win a medal at the Olympics in any sport.
South Korean Jang Mi-Ran, the defending Olympic champion, finished fourth with 289kg in total. "I was very happy to participate in the Olympics and I also feel a bit relieved the competition is over. I hope that people's support for weightlifting will be constant." Jang said.
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