Lightweight (≤58 kilograms), Women

China’s Chen Yanqing, the 1999 World Champion, would have been favored but the Chinese elected not to enter her, because of the rule limiting nations to entering lifters in no more than four female classes. This made the favorite North Korean Ri Song-Hui, who was runner-up at the 1997 and 1999 Worlds. Ri took the lead after the snatch with 97.5 kg followed by Mexican Soraya Jiménez with 95.0 kg. On Ri’s second attempt in the clean & jerk she came out late and when she was about to start her lift, her time ran out and it was declared a no-lift. The North Korean officials protested, to no one’s surprise, but it was denied by the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF). After Ri lifted 122.5 kg on her third attempt, Jiménez then hoisted 127.5 kg for a total of 222.5 kg, to win the gold medal. Khassaraporn Suta won the bronze medal, the first Olympic medal ever won by a Thai woman.