London, July 31 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Maiya Maneza won Kazakhstan’s second weightlifting gold Tuesday, setting a new Olympic record in the women’s 63kg category.
Maneza scored 110 kg in the snatch, two short of Russia’s Svetlana Tsarukaeva, but lifted 135 kg in the clean and jerk to claim gold.
Tsarukaeva managed just 125 kg, handing the Kazakh victory by eight kilos.
“I am very pleased, because this is my first Olympics. I have waited my whole life for this,” an emotional Maneza said.
“This is for all the people who cheered for me.”
Maneza and Tsarukaeva squared off at the world championships in Paris last November, when Tsarukaeva lifted enough in the snatch to take gold.
It is Kazakhstan’s second gold in the sport, coming after teenage prodigy Zulfiya Chinshanlo took the 53 kg category Sunday, breaking her own world record in the clean and jerk.
Canada’s Christine Girard took the bronze with a total of 236 kg, just failing on her final clean and jerk attempt of 135 kg, which would have secured the silver.
–IANS/RIA Novosti
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