UTeM BMFR Weblog

BEIJING (AFP) — Chen Xiexia gave China its first gold of the 2008 Olympics when she won the women’s 48kg weightlifting title on Saturday.

Yelling “jia you!” (come on!) to pump her up in front of a roaring gallery, the 25 year-old world champion succeeded on all six attempts as she set two new Olympic records with a lift total of 212kg and a final clean and jerk heave of 117kg on the way to victory.

Czech shooter Katerina Emmons earlier took the honour of winning the first gold medal of the Beijing Olympics as the first full day of competition began on Saturday after a dazzling opening ceremony.

After China showcased its rich history in a breathtaking spectacular on Friday night, competitors began their quest for the seven gold medals on offer on the opening day.

The first came at the shooting range where former world record holder Emmons shattered China’s hopes of dominating the sport on home soil, with China’s defending Olympic champion Du Li a distant fifth.

Lioubov Galkina of Russia won the silver and Snjezana Pejcic of Croatia claimed the bronze.

Of the other medal events on Saturday, China’s world champion Peng Wei is a strong contender to win the day’s other shooting discipline, the men’s 10m air pistol.

Other finals include the men’s cycling road race, women’s 48kg weightlifting and individual sabre fencing as well as two judo divisions the women’s 48kg and men’s 60kg classes.

The competition proper began at dawn on Saturday in Hong Kong when veteran Olympic champion Mark Todd came out of retirement to become the first rider to compete in the three-day equestrian event.

“I didn’t expect to be number one, it was just the luck of the draw,” said Todd, equestian’s “Rider of the 20th Century” who won gold at Los Angeles and Seoul, and retired after claiming individual bronze in Sydney in 2000.

“I’m used as cannon fodder. They said send the old bugger out there first and see what happens.”

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After the jinx-breaking Euro 2008 victory and some fantastic win at some of the top sports events, now it’s time for the Iberians to achieve more at the 2008 Beijing Olympics to enhance their status as a strong sporting nation.

The Spanish delegation marched into the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Friday night, with heads held high.

One month before the Olympics, Spain broke all the jinxes to clinch the Euro 2008 crown. Its convincing attacking football was hailed by most of the global media and expectations have risen for the their Olympic tour.

Spain has sent 292 athletes to the Olympics, aiming at six golds or more and 20 medals for the Beijing Games.

“In terms of results, Spanish sport is enjoying its best moments ever, but we have to be prudent,” said Alejandro Blanco, president of the Spanish Olympic Committee.

“We are going to take 292 sports people, which includes six teams. Nobody except China and the US plus three more, who are taking seven teams, are taking that many. We are taking some extraordinary athletes, some of whom are a force in the world,” he said.

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