LONDON (AP) — China’s powerful weightlifting team showed the first sign of weakness Sunday when 17-year-old Zhou Jun failed her three snatch attempts to go out of the women’s 53-kilogram competition.
In apparent move to reduce the pressure on the inexperienced Zhou, her coaches placed her in the “B” group of lower-ranked lifters even though she was among the favorites to medal in the event.
Zhou started the snatch at 95 kilograms — 5 kilos more than any other lifter in the group had cleared in three attempts. Looking tense and nervous, she failed each lift despite roaring support from the crowd in the ExCeL center.
