Women's Lifting Team Not Easy to Pick

Sometimes selection is more tiresome than competition. This is the exact dilemma bothering the talent-packed Chinese women's weightlifting team, as Chinadaily reported Tuesday.

"All of us, athletes and coaches, are finding this selection process trying - it's such a close run thing," Zhang Wenxi, leader of the Chinese Weightlifting Team, said recently.

Nevertheless, after three rounds of heated competition, seven candidates for the Sydney games have now finally been chosen.

They are Li Zhuo in the 48-kilogramme category, Yang Xia in the 53-kilogramme category, Chen Yanqing in the 58-kilogramme category, Chen Xiaomin in the 63 kilogramme category, Lin Weinin in the 69-kilogramme category, Tang Weifan in the 75-kilogramme category and Ding Meiyuan in the above 75-kilogramme category.

However, according to the rules of the Olympics, each country is only entitled to participate in four weightlifting events.

Therefore, the Chinese still have some work to do to pick the four strongest women to secure all four of the golds.

China's sports authorities decided as early as last year to bring home no less than 16 golds from Sydney's 2000 Olympics.

China's women weightlifters hold a large enough margin to make it probable that they will win all four events.



People's Daily Online --- http://www.peopledaily.com.cn/english/