One kilogram - that was all it took to crown the world's strongest man.
German weightlifter Matthias Steiner pulled ahead of Russian rival Evgeny Chigishev to win the Olympic men's +105 kg weightlifting gold medal on Tuesday.
Matthias Steiner of Germany holds the gold medal he dedicated to his late wife Susann, who died in a car accident in 2007, after winning the men's +105 kg of the weightlifting competition August 19 2008. [Xinhua] |
Steiner lifted a total of 461kg, 203kg in the snatch and 258kg in the clean and jerk, to beat Chigishev by a single kilogram. The German won the battle of giants in his last lift, winning his country's first gold medal in the event at this year's Games.
Steiner's winning lift was also the last effort of the sport for this Olympics that saw China earning eight of the 15 golds at stake.
Chigishev was the strongest in the snatch session Tuesday. He kissed his fists after a 210-kg lift that gave him a 7-kg advantage over fourth-placed Steiner going into the second event -- the clean and jerk. He let out a victorious roar after clearing 250 kg in his last lift, but the glory was short-lived as Steiner stunned everyone with his final, winning clean and jerk effort.
In the snatch, the bar is raised above the head in one continuous motion. The clean and jerk is a two-part lift in which the bar is first pulled up to shoulder level, and then thrust overhead.
Steiner had finished seventh in the 2004 Olympics in the 105kg weight category, and took the gold in the 2008 European Championship +105kg snatch competition, bronze in the clean and jerk and silver overall, with a total weight of 446kg.
World champion Viktors Scerbatihs of Latvia settled for bronze.
To Susann with love
Matthias Steiner of Germany holds a photo of his late wife Susann as he poses with his gold medal in the men's +105kg Group A weightlifting competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games August 19, 2008. [Agencies]
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Steiner was born in Austria and represented his country of birth at the Athens Olympics four years ago, placing seventh in the lower 105kg category, but had a falling out with Austria's weightlifting federation afterwards.
He applied for German citizenship in 2005 and got married, but his career went into deep freeze as he could not compete without a passport. He finally obtained the document last January.
The German, who turns 26 on Monday, had come to these Games on a mission to win the title for his wife Susann, who died in a car accident in July last year. The German team said he used the personal tragedy to motivate himself to win the gold medal.
Facing the big guys
One of the world's smallest island nations, Nauru, will have to wait another four years for a shot at Olympic glory.
Weightlifter Itte Detenamo, the only athlete representing the South Pacific country, set a personal best Tuesday in the +105kg class. It was not enough to win a medal, but the 150-kg Pacific strongman said he is aiming for a podium finish in London 2012.
"Yeah, I think that will be my main event," he said. "Now we will prepare for that for four years. It won't be easy. "
Weightlifting is a big deal in Nauru, a nation of about 10,000 people and located halfway between Hawaii and Australia. Even its president, Marcus Stephen, is a former weightlifter who competed in three Olympics.
Detenamo, 21, placed fourth in the Group B session. He scored a total of 386 kg, missing the last of his six lifts.
"My last lift ... it took everything out of me," he said.
Agencies