German strongman´s dedication

Source: China Daily | 08-20-2008 13:07

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.

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]

World champion Viktors Scerbatihs of Latvia settled for bronze.