Topic: 2007 Senior Worlds News

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Number of lifters makes record in weightlfitng worlds

 A record of 754 lifters will be participating in the 76th men's and 19th women's world weightlifting championships, which opened in Chiang Mai on Sunday.

It was the second time for the historical city from northern Thailand to host the worlds. The worlds in 1997 was also held in Chiang Mai.

"The number of of the lifters in the worlds created a record in recent years," said Boossaba Yodbangtoey, president of Thai Amateur Weightlifting Association.

"It is one of the qualification competitions for the Olympics Games in Beijing. And every lifter will try to earn the Olympic berths here," added she.

Altogether 245 female and 509 male lifters from 98 countries and regions have been registered to compete in eight categories for men and seven categories for women at the championships.

Forty-five gold medals are up for grab in the 15 categories each with the titles of snatch, clean and jerk, and total.

"I believe that the world championships will elevate international sports realm into a higher level and will strengthen relationships among countries and regions," she said.

"Moreover, this event will not only encourage Thai youth to their favorite sports but also will unveil great potential of Thailand in organizing such international events."

As one of the oldest sports in the world, weightlifting could date back to the ancient times (774 B.C.).

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Weightlifting Championship kicks off in Thailand

The 76th men's and 19th women's World Weightlifting Championships will kickoff in Thailand today.

Turkey will be participating with 8 men and 7 women weightlifters in the championship.

Nurcan Taylan and Sibel Ozkan of Turkey in 48 kg will compete in women's category today.

Schedule of Turkish weightlifters is as follows

Men:
Sedat Artuc - 56 kg (Sept. 18th), Mete Binay and Yasin Arslan - 69 kg (Sept. 19th), Reyhan Arabacioglu - 77 kg (Sept. 21st), Erdal Sunar and Izzet Ince - 77 kg (Sept. 22nd), Hakan Yilmaz - 94 kg (Sept. 23rd), Bunyamin Sudas - 105 kg (Sept. 25th),

Women:
Nurcan Taylan and Sibel Ozkan - 48 kg (Sept. 17th), Aylin Dasdelen and Seda Ince - 58 kg (Sept. 22nd), Sibel Altindas and Sibel Simsek - 69 kg (Sept. 24th) and Derya Acikgoz - 75 kg (Sept. 26th).

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Chen Xiexia shrugs off nervousness to lift gold at weightlifting

Chinese rookie Chen Xiexia made a superb debut at the world weightlifting championships as she won the gold medal in the women's 48kg category on Monday.

The 24-year-old Chen combined lifts of 96kg in the snatch with 118kg in the clean and jerk to finish with 214kg.

Focused and determined, a stoic Chen, world record holder of clean and jerk, hoisted 96kg in the snatch, 10kg more than Pramsiri Bunphitak of Thailand.

Despite lack of the international competing experience, Chen left no room for challengers, completing her first two lifts in the clean and jerk with apparent ease.

She asked 122kg in her last attempting, trying to break the world record of jerk and the total, but failed.

Bunphitak, who took silver at 196kg in the Asian Championships in April, hoisted the silver with 196kg and her compatriot Pensiri Laosirikul the bronze on 195kg.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Chen wins triple gold for China

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Sept 17 (Reuters) - China's Chen Xiexia swept all three gold medals up for grabs on the opening day of the world weightlifting championships.

China's national anthem was the only one played at Chiang Mai's 700th Anniversary Stadium on Monday when Chen got China's Olympics preparations off to the perfect start.

She dominated the women's 48kg category with wins in the snatch and the clean and jerk helping her clinch another gold medal in the total category.

"I'm so very happy," a beaming Chen told reporters when asked how it felt to win her first world title. "Now, I'm going to work even harder."

Chen lifted 96kg on her third attempt in the snatch and had to settle for 118kg in the clean and jerk -- 2kg less than her own world record -- for a total of 214kg, 18 more than silver medallist Pramsiri Bunphithak of Thailand.

Imbued with confidence after winning the snatch, a world record looked on the cards in the clean and jerk when the diminutive Chen hoisted the 122kg barbell to her shoulders, but the extra weight proved too much on the jerk.

"I was very sorry not to break the world record," said the 24-year-old. "But I'm determined to break all three in my next international competition."

Thailand's Pramsiri also took silver in the snatch (86kg) and bronze in the clean and jerk (110).

Compatriot Pensiri Laosirikul won silver in the clean and jerk (112) and bronze in the total (195) while Turkey's Nurcan Taylan lifted 85kg to take the snatch bronze.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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China's Chen shows her dominant class
Pramsiri, Pensiri take five medals
By Tor Chittinand

Chiang Mai _ Thailand won five medals on the first competition day of the Royal World Weightlifting Championships at the 700th Anniversary Sports Complex yesterday. In the women's 48kg division, Thailand's Pramsiri Bunphitak took home two silvers in the snatch and the total weight and a bronze in the clean and jerk.

Compatriot Pensiri Laosirikul, who was competing in the same category, captured a silver in the clean and jerk and a bronze in the total category.

China's Chen Xiexia was in a class of her own in the division as she comfortably swept three gold medals.

In the snatch, Pramsiri cleared 83kg and 85kg but failed to lift 90kg. However, the 85kg lift was enough for her to finish third.

Pensiri could only manage to lift 83kg and was empty-handed in this category.

In the clean and jerk, Pensiri lifted 112kg in her third and final attempt to finish second, while Pramsiri cleared 110kg in her second lift for a bronze.

In the total weight, the silver medal went to Pramsiri with a combined attempt of 196kg, while Pensiri was third at 195kg.

Chen was completely dominant in the 48kg division. The Chinese lifted 96kg in the snatch, 118kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 214kg. She tried to lift 122kg to break her own world record of 120kg in the clean and jerk but failed.

Both Pramsiri and Pensiri said they pleased with their performance in a high level competition and were looking forward to meeting Chen again at next year's Olympics in Beijing.

''This is a good lesson for both of us. We hope to meet this Chinese weightlifter again in other international tournaments particularly the Olympic Games,'' Pramsiri said.

''We will work harder to go to the Olympics.''

Chen said she was disappointed that she could not break a world record and hoped to achieve it in the next competition.

''I was very sorry not breaking the world record. I will work even harder for the Olympics because it will be held in my hometown,'' said the 24-year-old.

Maj Gen Intarat Yodbangtoey, chairman of the organising committee and a key member of the Weightlifting Association of Thailand, admitted that the Chinese was too strong for the Thai lifters.

However, he said his team should have won another bronze as Pensiri finished empty-handed because of the coach's wrong call in weight.

''Pensiri lifted only 83kg. She could have done better than this,'' he said.

[dominguezal]

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Weightlifting Championship kicks off in Thailand

The 76th men's and 19th women's World Weightlifting Championships will kickoff in Thailand today.

Turkey will be participating with 8 men and 7 women weightlifters in the championship.

Nurcan Taylan and Sibel Ozkan of Turkey in 48 kg will compete in women's category today.

Schedule of Turkish weightlifters is as follows

Men:
Sedat Artuc - 56 kg (Sept. 18th), Mete Binay and Yasin Arslan - 69 kg (Sept. 19th), Reyhan Arabacioglu - 77 kg (Sept. 21st), Erdal Sunar and Izzet Ince - 77 kg (Sept. 22nd), Hakan Yilmaz - 94 kg (Sept. 23rd), Bunyamin Sudas - 105 kg (Sept. 25th),

Women:
Nurcan Taylan and Sibel Ozkan - 48 kg (Sept. 17th), Aylin Dasdelen and Seda Ince - 58 kg (Sept. 22nd), Sibel Altindas and Sibel Simsek - 69 kg (Sept. 24th) and Derya Acikgoz - 75 kg (Sept. 26th).

why isnt Taner Sagir or Halil Mutlu competing? I have a very educated guess as to why but I wanted to see if someone really knew why?

Is there a reason why Sagir didnt win the gold at 07 Euros? Was he off or just plain beaten by the competition?

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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DPR Korea Cha Kum-chol wins gold at weightlifting worlds

Cha Kum-chol of DPR Korea beat Li Zheng of China to win the gold medal in the men's 56kg category at the world weightlifting championships on Tuesday.

Cha, 20, hoisted 128 kg in the snatch and 155 kg in the clean and jerk to claim victory with a total of 283kg.

Li hoisted the same weight with Cha, but took the silver because of body weight disadvantage.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

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Cha wins gold for North Korea
By Martin Petty

CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A determined Cha Kum-choi won gold and two silver medals for North Korea at the world weightlifting championships on Tuesday to end China's 100 percent record in the competition.

Cha won silvers in the snatch (128kg) and the clean and jerk (155kg) to win the overall gold with a total of 283kg, edging out defending champion Li Zheng of China, who matched the weight but lost out because of his heavier bodyweight.

The exuberant Korean let out a loud roar as he darted up to the platform, punching the air after every successful lift.

"I'm really happy with the final result but so sorry I couldn't get another gold medal," said the 20-year-old.

"I will go to the Olympic Games next year and try to win. I want to be both the world and the Olympic champion," he told a news conference.

Li lifted 130kg to win the snatch but a disappointing 153kg in the clean and jerk left him out of the medals and agonisingly short of a second gold.

"I'm a little disappointed, I felt good before this competition but when I stood on the platform, I just panicked," Li said.

"I wasn't right psychologically and that cost me another gold."

Cuba's Sergio Alvarez lifted 156kg to win the clean and jerk after failed final attempts by Li and Cha. Vietnam's Anh Taun Hoang picked up bronze in the snatch (127kg) and Eko Yuli Irawan of Indonesia took the overall bronze (278kg).

China, who are expected to dominate the competition, topped the medals table with four golds from the first two events, which included Chen Xiexia's three-gold sweep in the women's 48kg.