OLYMPICS/ Team china
China may hit golden jackpot on August 9
By Yu Yilei (China Daily/The Olympian)
Updated: 2007-09-28 11:23
China may hit golden jackpot on August 9
Who will lay claim to the first gold medal of the Beijing Games?
 Chinese weightlifter Chen Xiexia proved she has the potential to come up trumps by winning all three golds in the 48kg weight class at this month's World Championships in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
According to the competition schedule for the Beijing Games, the first crown is likely to be delivered before lunchtime on August 9 in either this weight class of the women's weightlifting or at the women's air rifle.
Chinese athletes have a good shot of winning both.
The country's female sharpshooters have already proved themselves by winning most major international competitions in the past two years, as have the 48kg weightlifters.
But with shooting competitions often spewing out golden bullets in unexpected directions, Chinese fans are rooting for Chen to hand over the goods with another stirring display on the barbells.
In Chiang Mai, Chen, who ranked No 3 in China at the event, did not disappoint.
She came out strong by snatching 96 kg, 10 kg more than second-placed Thai Pramsiri Bunphithak, to win the first part of the event, then surpassed 118 kg to win the clean and jerk. Her combined total of 214 kg built an 18 kg lead over Bunphithak to net her gold No 3.
Instead of celebrating with wild abandon, however, the diligent Chinese has responded by beating herself up for failing to set a new world record, testament to her belief in her untested potential.
If Chen had managed to hoist 122 kg on her third attempt at the clean and jerk she would have beaten her own world record set in earlier Asian Championship by 2 kg. Conquering this barrier could also help her break the world record in total weight held by teammate and China No 1 Yang Lian.
"I so regret not being able to set a new world record," said the 24-year-old afterwards. "I hope I can break all of the records next time."
Chen's victory stands her in good stead of winning a berth at the 2008 Olympics, but it is also likely to fuel some fierce infighting in the national team, which has to choose from a pool of three outstanding lifters in this weight.
Yang, record holder at both the snatch and total weight categories, is one of Chen's rivals, while 2006 Asian Games winner Wang Mingjuan, who dominated the worlds from 2002 to 2005 with nine gold medals, is also snapping for a piece of the action.
No matter who advances to the 2008 Games, their mission is clear: draw first blood and secure China a critical psychological edge with the inaugural gold to spearhead its potentially strongest Olympic campaign yet.
In Athens three years ago, Nurcan Taylan of Turkey rained on China's parade by upsetting Li Zhou in the 48kg class with a new world record to seize first gold.
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