BANGKOK, Sept 23: China’s Liu Haixia set two world records on her way to winning all three gold medals in the women’s 63kg class at the world weightlifting championships on Sunday.
Liu set a new mark of 142kg in the clean and jerk and lifted 115kg in the snatch to set an overall world record of 257kg and take all three gold medals in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The 26-year-old, who won the 58kg gold at last year’s world championships, wiped out two of the three records held by Thailand’s Pawina Thongsuk by 1kg, beating overall silver medallist Svetlana Tsarukaeva of Russia by 7kg.
Her effort in the snatch was 1kg shy of the record held by world, Olympic and Asian champion Pawina, who withdrew from the competition citing poor fitness and university commitments.
Liu became the second lifter to break a world record at this week’s competition after Andrei Rybakov of Belarus set a new mark in the men’s 85kg snatch on Saturday.
Liu’s three golds took China’s tally to 17 from the 27 handed out so far.
Results from the seventh day (snatch, clean and jerk, aggregate, all in kilograms):
Women 63kg
1. Liu Haixia (CHN) 115,142, 257
2. Svetlana Tsarukaeva (RUS) 115,135, 250
3. Pak Hyong Suk (PRK) 105,135, 240
4. Meline Daluzyan (ARM) 102,125, 227
5. Olibia Toka (GRE) 98,126, 224
6. Kim Soo-Kyung (KOR) 95,129, 224
7. Sibel Simsek (TUR) 101,122, 223
8. Christine Girad (CAN) 95,126, 221
9. Luz Acosta (MEX) 100,120, 220
10. Michaela Breeze (GBR) 97,118, 215
11. Shwe Sin Win (MYN) 98,115, 213
12. Dominika Misterska (POL) 93,112, 205.—Agencies
