London: Wang Mingjuan of China secured the first gold medal of the London Olympics weightlifting competition, winning the women's 48-kilogram title Saturday with a total weight of 205 kilograms.
The four-time world champion dominated the competition, snatching 91 kilograms and lifting 114 kilograms in the clean and jerk. Despite being a top level lifter for a decade, the 26-year-old had never competed in the Olympics due to injuries which ruled her out of Athens and Beijing.
China won eight weightlifting gold medals four years ago in Beijing, and the team is expected to dominate the medal tally once again in London, though it is likely to face stiffer challenges from Russia this time.
"I hope this medal will provide encouragement for the rest of the team," Wang told reporters.
Japan's Hiromi Miyake finished second and Ryang Chun Hwa of North Korea got the bronze.
Medal favorite Panida Khamsri of Thailand bombed out after three failed snatch attempts at 81 kilograms.
Miyake, whose uncle and father finished first and third in the 1968 Olympics, trailed Wang by 4 kilograms in the snatch and fell further behind in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total of 197 kilograms.
"It's a dream come true," said Miyake. "Now I got a silver medal so I'm very proud of myself."
Her father and coach Yoshiyuki Miyake politely shook her hand before rubbing her silver medal with his hands in front of a mob of Japanese photographers.
The snatch is performed in one motion while the clean and jerk is a two-part lift where the competitor first raises the bar to shoulder level and the pushes it overhead.
Ryang was in sixth place after lifting only 80 kilograms in the snatch and was in danger of missing the medals after failing her first clean and jerk attempt. But the North Korean recovered and secured a spot on podium by with a powerful 112-kilogram clean and jerk in her final attempt.
That was just enough to push Thailand's Sirivimon Pramongkhol off the podium with a weight difference of 1 kilogram.
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