Sun, Aug 10, 2008 page20

• WEIGHTLIFTING: Chen Xiexia lifts China and gold

  RECORD BREAKER Weightlifter Chen set two new Olympic records on her way to claim the hosts’ first gold medal of the Games. Taiwan’s Chen Wei-ling took bronze

  • AFP
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  Beijing housewife Wang Mian has never lifted weights in her life, but felt every gram Chen Xiexia hoisted to win China’s first Olympic gold in the women’s 48kg weightlifting class yesterday.
  
  

  “I’m not sporty and came here out of patriotism because I heard we might see the first gold medal for China,” said the 36-year-old, whose husband bought her a ticket for the event.
  
  

  Wang was one of a crowd of 5,400 Chinese who went wild with delight when little Chen, the 25-year-old world champion, set two new Olympic records on the way to a first gold at these Games for the host nation.
  
  

  

  China’s Chen Xiexia competes in the women’s 48kg weightlifting event at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium in Beijing yesterday. Chen won the host nation’s first gold medal of the Games.

  PHOTO: AFP

  “On every lift I trembled as if I was carrying that weight myself,” said Wang, whose sporting experience is limited to occasional badminton games and a walk in the park at weekends.
  
  

  Chen bounced into the arms of her coaching staff after winning the title and wrapped herself in the Chinese national flag during the medal presentations, as the crowd joined her in blasting out the Chinese national anthem for the first time at a Beijing victory ceremony.
  
  

  Afterward, she appeared calm and cool about winning a place in history as China’s first champion of these Games, 24 years after China’s first ever Olympic gold was won by a shooter in Los Angeles in 1984.
  
  

  “Yes, she is not very emotional,” her coach Ma Wenhui said.
  
  

  “But I was very moved indeed. It was me fighting back the tears, not her. Winning the first gold medal is a very good thing for weightlifting and a great thing for our country. I am very excited. It was awesome and it will also give China a boost for the rest of the Games,” Ma said.
  
  

  China’s first gold medal at the Games was not supposed to go to Chen. More than an hour earlier, Athens Olympic gold medalist Du Li was battling to retain her title in the women’s 10 meter air rifle.
  
  

  But the 26-year-old from northern China never recovered from a shaky start and finished fifth behind Czech shooter Katerina Emmons.
  
  

  Feeling the disappointment of millions of Chinese, Du dissolved into tears, shielding her face from the cameras, and initially refused to speak to a large contingent of Chinese and international media.
  
  

  “I really felt terrible for her,” said Wang Jing, 21, a student of mathematics at the elite Peking University, who was in the crowd at the weightlifting arena.
  
  

  “Everyone in China was expecting so much from her. Too much pressure. She must be feeling so low now,” Wang said.
  
  

  But Wang said that secretly she was happy the honor went to Chen.
  
  

  “She is such a little person and she lifted so much weight and did it perfectly every time. I am such a big fan. She has lifted China,” she said.
  
  

  Chen set the home nation on the road to an expected haul of four of the seven golds in women’s weightlifting, which they hope will help them on their way to topping the overall medal table for the first time.
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