Big lift
NZPA-Reuter Los Angeles China took advantage of the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Olympic Games to win the first gold and silver weightlifting medals last night. A 19-year-old, Zeng Guoqiang, won the flyweight (52kg) class from his teammate, Zhou Peishun, eclipsing their more fancied Japanese rivals and earning a rousing reception from a crowd of more than 3000.
They were the first Olympic weightlifting titles ever collected by China, competing in the summer Games for the first time since 1952.
Zeng and Zhou both lifted a total of 235 kg, but the gold medal went to Zeng because he weighed fractionally lighter.
The boycott kept away the top East European lifters who filled the first four places at the 1983 world championships in Moscow.
The effect was obvious as Zeng's winning total was 27.5 kg under the world record of the Bulgarian Neno Terziyski. Zhou said the enthusiastic crowd had given the Chinese lifters a great deal of encouragement There were 20 weightlifters in the event. Officials said that despite the boycott, the weightlifting had attracted an overall entry of 216 from 57 countries, more competitors and more nations than at any previous Olympics.
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Press, 31 July 1984, Page 23
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196Big lift Press, 31 July 1984, Page 23
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