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Chinese Men's Weighlifters May Return Home Empty-Handed
Chinese men's weightlifters could return home from the Sydney Olympic Games without a single gold medal, Chinese team headcoach Yang Hanxiong said Thursday.
China remains only one lifter to compete in Friday's men's 77 kilograms category, where Zhan Xugang who won a gold medal in the 70-kg category four years ago in Atlanta will be China's last chance to take a gold in the men's event.
"He is ready but could not guarantee the gold medal," Yang told Xinhua. "Zhan injured his back last year and recovered very well but I think he will be difficult for the gold."
Zhan placed fourth with a total of 365 kilograms in the last year's world championships that could make him rank second in the world.
Zlatan Vanev tops the world rankings with a combined 372.5 kilograms. The Bulgaria was the former world champion and in 1998 and European champion this year.
"The Bulgarian will be Zhan's arch-rival and Zhan has to face a hard-fought competition tomorrow," Yang said.
Following the hot favourite Vanev, Badr Saelem of Qatar, Victor Mitrou of Greece and Khalatur Kyapanaktshyan of Armenia are also aiming at winning the Olympic gold.
"It's possible for China not to take even single gold here. We must admit that we are weaker than four years ago when we won two gold medals," Yang said.
Before the Games China pins the gold medal hope on the men's 62-kg class, but with Shi Zhiyong's quit because of his injury in wrists which he suffered him for nearly two months, Le Maosheng didn't perform well in the class and took only fifth. China also sent four other men's lifters in Sydney. In the men's 56-kg class, Wu Wengxiong won the silver and Zhang Xiangxiang took bronze. While Zhang Guozheng finished fourth in the 69-kg.
Chinese women's lifter Ding Meiyuan will face the challenge from Wrobel Agata of Poland, who set world record for the jerk in the over-75 kilograms category last April.
If Ding wins the title China will be the country to sweep all the golds allowed to take part in the women's weightlifting competition.
"It counts 50 percent for Ding to take this gold medal in the over-75," Chinese women's head coach Zhang Wenxi said.
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