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Thai P. Jaroenrattanatarakoon wins women's 53kg weightlifting gold
Xinhua
Updated: 2008-08-10 17:37
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P. Jaroenrattanatarakoon of Thailand competes and bows after an attempt in the women's 53kg Group A weightlifting snatch competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 10, 2008 in this combination picture. [Agencies]
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Beijing - Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon of Thailand won the weightlifting gold medal in the women's 53 kilogram category Sunday, setting an Olympic record.
South Korea's Yoon Jinhee finished in second place and Natassia Novikava of Belarus got the bronze.
Jaroenrattanatarakoon lifted a total of 221 kilograms, pulling off 95 kgs in the snatch and an Olympic high score of 126 kgs in the clean and jerk.
Her total was 8 kgs better than Yoon and Novikava. Yoon got the silver because of a lower body weight.
Melanie Roach of the United States set an American record with 193 kgs, finishing in sixth place.
The Thai lifter was tied with Novikava after the snatch, but clinched the win with her first clean and jerk at 120 kg, a weight than no other was able to match.
After setting the Olympic record in her second lift, she went for a world record clean and jerk in her third attempt. But the 126 kgs was too much, and she gave up halfway through the lift, laughing.