China's Liu breaks 3 weightlifting records

[August 13, 2008]  BEIJING (AP) -- Liu Chunhong broke three world records in the women's 69-kilogram division, defending her Olympic title to win China's sixth gold medal in the weightlifting competition.

Liu set a new high score of 128 kg (282.2 pounds) in her third attempt in the snatch Wednesday. She then lifted 158 kg (348.3 pounds) to set a new top mark in the clean and jerk.

Her total of 286 kg (630.52 pounds) also was a world record, beating the previous mark by an astounding 10 kg (22.1 pounds).

World champion Oxana Slivenko of Russia was a distant second, lifting a total of 255 kg (562.17 pounds). Ukraine's Natalya Davydova took the bronze.

[Associated Press]

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