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LONDON: Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya
Chinshanlo set a world record in
the clean and jerk as she powered
to Olympic gold in the
women’s 53kg class yesterday
to claim a cash bonus from her
country’s president. The twotime
world champion, 19, snatched 95kg and
then registered a best of 131kg in the clean and
jerk for a combined total of 226kg.
Asian champion Hsu Shu-Ching of Taiwan
took silver with a total of 219kg (96, 123), on
countback from Moldova’s Cristina Iovu, who
took bronze with 219kg (99, 120). “I want to celebrate
the gold medal by drinking a glass of beer.
Actually, I am only able to drink half a glass,” said
Chinshanlo, who was not too upset at just missing
out on breaking the world record in the total
with a narrow miss at 135kg in the clean and jerk.
“On the last lift I had a plan to break the record
but I failed. I am a bit disappointed.” Chinshanlo
said that Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev
had been in the stadium to watch her claim the
central Asian country’s second gold medal in as
many days following Alexandre Vinokourov’s win
in the men’s cycling road race.
“He came and said congratulations, but I
won’t tell you how much money he will give me.
I am afraid I will be robbed,” she said with a
laugh. The Chinese team, looking to repeat their
Beijing Games form, made a bad tactical blunder,
Zhou Jun failing to register a mark in the
snatch after opting to compete in the ‘B’ group.
Zhou offered up a low 150kg entry total, having
recorded 220kg in domestic competition. But
after waiting for all her rivals to finish, Zhou
MONDAY, JULY 30, 2012
LONDON: Kazakhstan’s Zulfiya Chinshanlo clears 131
kilograms on her second clean and jerk attempt for a world
record during the women’s 53-kg, Group A, weightlifting
competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics. (Inset)
Germany’s Julia Rohde competes during the weightlifting
women’s 53kg Group B at the Excel Center in London during
the 2012 London Olympic Games. —AFP
Chinshanlo wins 53kg class
Dutch, Argentina
cruise as Kiwis
stun Australia
LONDON: Defending champions The Netherlands
eased to a 3-0 win over Belgium while World Cup
holders Argentina coasted to a 7-1 victory against
South Africa on the first day of Olympic Games
women’s hockey.
Elsewhere, New Zealand pulled off a 1-0 victory
over former champions Australia, while Asian Games
champions China outplayed South Korea 4-0.
Kim Lammers fired two field goals and Caia van Maasakker capitalised
on a late penalty corner to launch the Dutch campaign with a
sound win over hard-working Belgium in Pool A.
The Dutch dominated the game, but were kept at bay until
Lammers opened the scoring in the 33rd minute when she shot in
after picking up a long pass from Eva de Goode.
Lammers was again on mark in the 42nd minute on a pass from
Ellen Hogg before van Maasakker rounded off the scoring in the 60th
with a low penalty corner drive.
Captain Luciana Aymar converted two penalty corners in the first
session to lead Argentina’s scoring spree against the South Africans.
Josefina Sruoga, Silvina D’Elia and Noel Barrionuevo scored from
penalty corner action while Martina Cavallero and Carla Rebecchi
fired in field goals as Argentina stamped their authority over South
Africa in Pool B. The South Africans got a consolation goal through
Dirkie Chamberlain on a counter-attack.
New Zealand rode on an early goal from Cathryn Finlayson in the
Pool B match to score their maiden victory in the Olympic Games
against rivals Australia. It was the first time the Black Sticks had taken
even a point off Australia in the Olympics. They had always lost by at
least three goals in the past. Finlayson scored from a corner in the
third minute with a follow-up shot from eight yards after the initial
drive by New Zealand captain Kayla Sharland had been saved. New
Zealand were the more cohesive team but both sides created enough
chances to have added to the score. “It was not pretty, we were lucky.
They hit the post,” said Kiwi coach Mark Hager. Australian coach Adam
Commens admitted his team paid for missing opportunities. “We created
enough chances, and when you do so you should be able put
the ball in,” he said.
China came back to form after two lean years with what their
coach Kim Sang-Ryul described as an “unbelievable” win over South
Korea in Pool A. China had not beaten their Asian rivals in their previous
nine matches. “Everything went right for us today. I have had faith
in this team. Others doubted me. Such a result against Korea,” said
Kim. Ma Yibo helped by scoring her side’s first and last goals with
penalty corner shots, the others came from Zhao Yudiao and Li
Xongxia.— AFP
LONDON: Roccio Sanchez Moccia of Argentina takes evasive action from a shot
by Jennifer Wilson of South Africa during the preliminary round women’s field
hockey match of the London 2012 Olympic Games. —AFP
failed three times to register a snatch at 95kg.
“The basic move went totally wrong,” she said.
“I don’t know what happened on the platform. I
just couldn’t find how to relax in my body. My
condition today was bad. “It was the coach’s decision,”
Zhou added of her snatch entry weight,
with only three lifters in the ‘A’ group having registered
similar or higher. The clean and jerk was
given some extra spice when Turkey’s Aylin
Dasdelen, in the running for a medal after nailing
91kg in the snatch, failed to register a mark in the
clean and jerk. Dasdelen, who finished fourth at
LONDON: The Olympic judo
quarter-final between world
champion Masashi Ebinuma
and Cho Jun-Ho of South
Korea descended into farce
yesterday after Cho was
awarded victory, only for his
Japanese rival to be declared the winner
moments later.
The under-66kg fight remained level after a
five-minute contest, plus an extra three minutes
of golden score, meaning it went to a
judges’ decision.
All three judges on the mat awarded the
bout to Cho, clad in blue, but the International
Judo Federation’s Refeering Commission then
intervened. Following frantic discussions on
the sidelines, referees director Juan Carlos
Barcos, who had been seen consulting federation
president Marius Vizer, called the judges
over and seemingly told them to change their
minds. The three judges then went back onto
the mat and having originally all lifted blue
flags denoting a Cho victory, this time thrust
up three white ones instead.
Ebinuma was declared the winner and
although he lost to eventual gold medallist
Lasha Shavdatuashvili of Georgia in the semis,
both he and Cho went on to take the two
bronze medals.
When the original decision was made it
brought protests from the crowd and Ebinuma
felt that helped him. “I thought I was going to
lose but there was all this support in the spectator
seats and that allowed me to get this
medal,” he said.
“But I’m feeling a bit bad for (Cho).” Having
matched Ebinuma’s medal, the Korean let
sleeping dogs lie.”Initially I thought I had won
but when it was reversed I was a little sad,” he
said.
“But I had my remaining fights to focus on
and I hoped (Ebinuma) would get a good
result because he beat me. We both won
US NBA stars rip
18
France in opener
the 2004 Olympics in Athens in the -58kg class,
and a twice world silver medallist, bombed out
after two failed attempts at 129kg.
That left the baby-faced Chinshanlo to step
forward to roars from the crowd that included
London Games chief organiser Sebastian Coe.
As the packed stadium at the ExCel arena
slowly hushed, Chinshanlo paced the lifting dais,
slowly approached the barbell and threw the
weight up just metres away from Coe. “What an
outstanding piece of sport,” beamed Coe. “What
composure for a 19-year-old.” —AFP
Farcical scenes
in judo q-final
bronze so I’m happy.”
Federation general secretary Jean-Luc
Rouge told AFP the move was made as it was
believed an Ebinuma attack had not been
scored.
“The referees weren’t told to change their
minds, they were merely reminded about an
incident (an attack by Ebinuma that could
have scored) that should have influenced their
decision,” he said. “It had escaped their minds
but having reconsidered it they then gave
their modified verdicts.”
When put to him that the incident had
been damaging for the federation, Rouge
added: “It’s better that the federation is damaged
rather than judo.”
The crowd, who were upset over the original
decision and jeered loudly, became even
more vocal following the farcical overturn and
Cho was afforded a standing ovation as he left
the mat. Already, during the sudden death
golden score period, the referees commission
had overturned the award of a winning score
for Ebinuma by the judges — the incident the
commission then reminded the judges to consider
in their later decision.
For the first time at the Olympics, video
replay technology is being used to review contentious
scoring but the over-rule of a judges
decision following a draw has never been
done before. The federation later put out a
statement trying to clarify its ruling. “The
International Judo Federation (IJF) is strongly
committed to equity and, as part of our sport
judo, to the development of all the tools that
in our competitions help the referees to make
the right decisions, so that the best fighters
win. “In order to achieve this, a video system
was set up and has proved successful. “The referee
and the two judges of the fight, after having
received the details from the experts commission,
decided to change their decision and
give victory to the Japanese. “The IJF states
that this is the final and right decision.” — AFP