A nun's advice that changing her name would yield good luck helped produce Olympic gold for Thai weighlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarak in the women's 53kg division August 10 2008. [Agencies] |
Thailand's Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarak set a new Olympic record on her way to a gold in the women's 53kg division.
The Thai powerhouse lifted 95kg in snatch and set a record with her 126kg lift in clean and jerk for a total of 221kg at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium.
The Thai lifter attempted to break the clean and jerk world record of 129kg held by China's Li Ping, but failed.
Prapawadee, who withdrew from the 2007 World Championships, defended Thailand's honor in the 53kg division four years after her compatriot, Udomporn Polsak, won gold at Athens.
The 24-year-old's success was attributed, in part, to two Chinese coaches who got her past an injury and in top shape. Her current coach is Zhang Baoshun and his predecessor, Zhang Jiamin currently coaches the Chinese Taipei team.
Zhang Baoshun said poor performances by Thai lifters on Saturday put a lot of pressure on him and Prapawadee but she got through it with flying colours.
"She is very smart and (put on a) good performance today," he said.
Meanwhile, the silver medal was underscored by a growing rivalry.
The lighter bodyweight of South Korean Yoon Jin-hee helped her to the silver over Belarus' Nastassia Novikava after both registered a two-lift total of 213kg.
Their fierce rivalry continued in Beijing after Novikava was runner-up at the 2007 World Championships and Yoon had to settle for a third-place bronze.
This time around, Novikava equaled Prapawadee in the snatch with a lift of 95kg after both had failed to hoist 97kg, and Yoon snatched 94kg.
Novikava failed her first attempt in clean and jerk and finished with 118kg, only for the South Korean to succeed in her final attempt to lift 119kg.
Yoon said she had trained hard but that an injury had stopped her from being in peak condition.
"I failed to accomplish my goal for the Games, but I'm satisfied and I will try my best to do better next time," she said.
Prapawadee's triumph was Thailand's first gold in Beijing and will yield her a considerable windfall.
"I want to go back home and celebrate with my family as Tuesday is the Mother's Day of Thailand," she said after her victory, adding that her intensive training regime had prevented her from going home for three years.
The champion changed her name from Chanpim Kautatian to Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarak in 2007 after a Thai nun told her the new name would bring her good luck.
"I believe more in myself than in the fortune-teller," she said, playing down its role.
Grueling clean and jerk training after recovering from a left elbow injury had more to do with her success, she said, as well as a little luck.
"I'm lucky that China didn't enter lifters in this class," she said.
The Thai government will reward her efforts with 15 million baht ($445,000) and the Thailand Weightlifting Association will oblige with 10 million baht, according to Thai Olympic Committee President Gen Yuthasak Sasiprapha.
Thailand won three weightlifting gold medals at the Athens Games, but is aiming for two in Beijing.
Novikava, who delieverd Belarus its first medal in Beijing, said she had set her sights on the shinier medals. "At training sessions I had lifted more than I lifted at today's competition," she said.
Xinhua