Li Ping wins China's second weightlifting gold in Doha Asiad
3/12/2006 12:18
World champion Li Ping of China overcame Junpim Kuntatean of Thailand by
three kilograms to win women's 53kg weightlifting gold medal in the 15th Asian
Games in Doha yesterday.
Li, 18, hoisted a total of 224kg to clinch the gold,
which was also the second for Chinese team after Wang Mingjuan won in the
women's 48kg category.
Kuntatean, fourth in Busan Asiad in 2002, took the
silver at 221kg and the 23-year-old Yu Weili of Hong Kong, China, claimed the
bronze at 207kg.
"I was nervous when competing, and I am still nervous even
after the competition is over. You can see my right leg is still shaking," Li
said.
Li led the snatch by lifting 98kg but the 22-year-old Kuntatean closed
in with a 97kg third lift.
In the clean and jerk, Kuntatean managed 124kg but
her gold hope was shattered as Li easily lifted the 126kg barbell.
Li, who
took a gold medal in the 2005 world championships here, failed in his 129kg jerk
attempt to break the world record of 128kg set by her teammate Qiu Hongxia in
the 2006 worlds.
"After securing the gold, I decided to have a try. It's a
pity I failed at 129kg," Li added.
"I have performed my best here, so I am
very excited with the silver medal. I hope I can beat Li in the Beijing
Olympics," Kuntatean said.
"I had expected to win a medal before I came to
Doha, but I did not want to give myself too much pressure. I was relaxed when
competing, so the good performance just came," said Yu.
Xinhua
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