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Olympic Weightlifting Recaps - 23 July (Day 4)

Weightlifting -- 70kg Group B Preliminary Round

Algeria's Yahiaoui Sets the Pace in Group B:

Abdelmanaame YAHIAOUI of Algeria nearly waited until everyone else was finished before he started to compete, but the fourth-place finisher in the 1992 Olympic Games did not falter, recording a total score of 335.0kg to lead the Group B of the 70kg at the Georgia World Congress Center in the Atlanta Olympic Games Tuesday afternoon. A 23-person contingent of family members and friends were in attendance to support the representative from the United States, Tim MCRAE, who set three American records to finish third overall. It was the first time in McRAE's career that his family had ever seen him compete. Nineteen-year old Hristos SPYROU of Greece also gave the crowd a lot to cheer for as he nearly set a junior world record in the snatch en route to a second-place finish, edging out MCRAE based upon a lighter bodyweight.

With only one session remaining in the 70kg competition, KIM Myong of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea will attempt to earn his first gold medal when Group A begins at 16:00 on Tuesday. KIM, who owns three world records and is currently the top-ranked athlete in his class, should see strong competition from ZHAN Xugang and WAN Jianhui of the People's Republic of China. Group B Top Finishers: Abdelmanaame YAHIAOUI (ALG), 335.0kg.; Hristos SPYROU (GRE), 322.5kg.; Tim MCRAE (USA), 322.5kg.

"I am happy just to have my family here in Atlanta," said MCRAE. "It was a very emotional day for me."


Weightlifting/Group C Preliminary Round

Nigerian Snatches 70kg Lead:

Only six athletes competed in Tuesday morning's Group C session of the 70kg weightlifting competition at the Georgia World Congress Center in the 1996 Olympic Games, but it was Mojisola OLUWA of Nigeria who captured the early lead in the snatch and never relinquished it. OLUWA notched a 140.0kg lift on his second snatch attempt to set the first of his three personal records in the event. He earned his 310.0kg total with a 170.0kg third attempt in the clean and jerk as the wraps on both of his knees came unraveled.

Slovakia's Rudolf LUKAC tried to keep pace in the clean and jerk by attempting 177.5kg but failed in his two lifts to finish at 302.5kg, while Syria's Abdalla AL SEBAEI moved into third by staving off disqualification on his final clean and jerk attempt to post a two-lift total of 290.0kg.

Competition continues in this afternoon's Group B session at 12:30 with Plamen ZHELYAZKOV of Bulgaria and Oleksiy KHIZHNIAK of the Ukrane as the headliners among the 11 competitors. At 16:00 the day's final session begins which includes world record holder KIM Myong of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as well as 1992 Olympic bronze medalist Andreas BEHM of Germany. The medal ceremony will begin at the conclusion of the Group A competition at about 18:00. Group C Top Finishers: Mojisola OLUWA (NGR), 310.0kg; Rudolf LUKAC (SVK), 302.5kg; Abdalla AL SEBAEI (SYR), 290.0kg.


This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department.


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Olympic Factoid
The Mother Nature was kind to Olympic athletes and spectators. The average high temperature during the Games was 89 degrees with an average low of 72 degrees. Highest temperature registered (20 July) - 99 degrees. Lowest high temperature registered is 79 degrees (28 July).