The latest medal tally count in the Rio 2016 Olympics shows China is in second place with 23 medals, 10 of which are gold, 5 silver and 8 bronze. Of the 10 gold medals, one came from Long Qingquan on Monday and another from a female weightlifter.
In her third try to lift a 118 kilogram weight, Chinese female weightlifter Xiang Yanmei dropped the bar which hit her head on its way down. The accident caused fear in the Chinese team that Xiang might be forced to withdraw in the middle of competition after another weightlifter, Chen Lijun, withdrew on Monday in the men’s 62-kilogram class because of a cramp, reported LA Times.
Although Xiang showed a dazed look momentarily and felt some hurt when she nods her head, she remained fully alert when she lifted 116 kg in the snatch and 145 in the clean and jerk for a total of 261 to win her the gold. It was just 2 kg more than the 259 total of silver medalist Zhazira Zhapparkul of Kazakhstan and the 255 kg of bronze winner Sara Ahmed of Egypt.
Xiang had won world titles in 2013 and 2015. Sara, 18, just made Olympic history by being the first Egyptian woman to win a medal in the Summer Games. She ends Egypt’s 68-year medal drought in weightlifting last won in 1948 by silver medalist Attia Hamouda.