Flyweight (≤48 kilograms), Women

Despite being a World Champion since 2002 in the women’s flyweight weightlifting division, Wang Mingjuan of China had never participated at the Olympics until London in 2012. Her career had been plagued by injuries but, in top form, she was unbeatable, winning world titles in 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2009, as well as gold medals at the 2006 and 2010 Asian Games. Injury-free in 2012, she was considered a strong favorite to take home the Olympic crown. She would not go unchallenged, however: Panida Khamsri of Thailand, runner-up at the most recent World Championships, was considered a favorite for a medal as well. The reigning European Champion, Marzena Karpińska of Poland, had certainly improved since her ninth place finish at the 2008 Summer Games, but was barred from London after being suspected of doping violations. This left Nurdan Karagöz of Turkey, twice runner-up at the European Championships (2010 and 2011) and bronze medalist at the most recent World Championships, as Europe’s best hope for a medal.

Khamrsi exited the competition early, failing to lift her initial snatch weight of 81 kg within three tries, leaving the podium spots more open than ever. Wang was placed first following the snatch competition, with a final lift of 91 kg, four kilograms more than her closest competitor, Hiromi Miyake of Japan. Miykae was the daughter of Yoshiyuki Miyake, a bronze medalist in 1968 in the men’s featherweight division, and the niece of Yoshinobu Miyake, twice Olympic featherweight champion and once bantamweight runner-up in four Olympics from 1960 through 1972. Karagöz was in third in the snatch, with 83 kg. In the clean and jerk, Wang did not have her first lift until most of her competitors had lifted two or three times. Her first attempt came in at 110 kg and was successful, which was enough in the end to win the competition. With the bar already set too high, Ryang Chun-Hwa of North Korea then made an attempt at 112 kg to move into the bronze medal position, which was successful and displaced Sirivimon Pramongkhol of Thailand. Meanwhile Miyake, who was already in the silver medal position after lifting 110 kg, did not challenge for the gold, trying, and failing, to set a personal best with 113 kg. Wang’s final two lifts were superfluous, successfully lifting 114 kg but failing in her third attempt with 116 kg.