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Jang Mi-ran, the favorite in the women's +75 kg weightlifting competition of the Beijing Olympics, grabbed the gold on Saturday, setting five world records in a day. Korean athletes appeared to be off to a smooth start with gold medals won by swimmer Park Tae-hwan and judoka Choi Min-ho, but the Korean team¡¯s progress began to falter after the men and women¡¯s archery teams missed the gold by a single point in the individual matches held Thursday and Friday. But Jang¡¯s achievement helped Korea regain its momentum as the Olympics enters its second half.
Jang showed the world the true face of the world¡¯s top female weightlifter. She lifted 130 kg in her first snatch attempt and secured the gold by lifting 175 kg in the clean and jerk. In her two remaining attempts, Jang raised the weight to set a world record. She beat the runner up by 49 kg. It was an amazing feat even in the Olympics for a weightlifter to succeed in her three snatch and three clean and jerks without a hitch.
Jang¡¯s feat can be attributed to her sincerity. She was well known in the Korean athletes¡¯ village for being a practice fanatic. Other athletes were apparently awed by Jang¡¯s dedication to her training, and she wasted no time on small talk. It was her father who got her started in weightlifting when she was in the ninth grade, and she has never caused any problems or fallen into a slump. She made it into the national team just three years after she started weightlifting and walked down a single, unwavering path to the gold medal in Beijing after winning the silver in Athens and clinching the top spots in three consecutive world championships.
Despite being in the top weight class in female weightlifting, Jang maintained a balanced frame. She maintained the characteristics through a scientific regimen and dedicated training.
¡°I'm deeply grateful for this gold. A gold medal is something that must be given by the power above no matter how hard you try,¡± Jang said after her win. She added she was overwhelmed with joy. The Korean public will treasure the exhilaration and joy Jang gave them by setting the world record.
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