|
 |   |
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Boevski puts golden gloss on bad day for Bulgaria
ATTENTION - ADDS quotes /// SYDNEY, Sept 20 (AFP) - Bulgaria's Galabin Boevski gave his country some welcome news after the drug disqualification of fellow weightlifter Ivan Ivanov with a power-packed Olympic gold medal performance on Wednesday. The world champion proved that his injured knee was as good as new after an operation by beating his own world record in the clean and jerk to win the 69kg competition with a world record equalling total of 357.5kg (162.5kg and 195kg). Boevski, who had remained impassive throughout the competition, kissed his repaired left knee after winning the gold and blew kisses to the crowd. "I was not influenced in my preparation by the news on Ivan (Ivanov)," said Boevski. "He is a good friend. "I injured my knee about six months ago and was a bit apprehensive at the time. But I had good treatment and it is great." During a press conference, Bulgarian weightlifting officials confirmed Boevski would receive a Mercedes car for his victory. Countryman Georgi Markov, who set a new world mark in the snatch, won the silver medal on 352.5kg with Sergei Lavrenov in bronze medal position on 340kg. "I feel awful finishing second," said Markov, after failing to win a gold medal to match his gold earring. "I feel bad. I am totally devastated." Boevski's victory will come as a welcome relief for Bulgaria, who had been forced to watch as two Bulgarians won gold for other countries in competition earlier this week. Nikolay Pechalov of Croatia and Turkey's tiny titan Halil Mutlu each won medals. Both were born and raised in Bulgaria. Bulgarian weightlifting had been under a cloud just hours earlier when Ivanov was stripped of the silver medal he won in the 56kg class on Saturday after failing a drug test for a diuretic. Weightlifters are thought to use diurectics to lose weight and 1992 Olympic gold medallist Ivanov was inside the limit by just 0.08kg. Boevski shot to prominence at last November's World Championships by taking the title in world record-breaking fashion. He was favourite to win Olympic gold but surgery after sustaining a knee injury earlier in the year had put a question mark over the result. The 25-year-old dispelled all doubts by taking the overall lead with a lift of 190kg in the clean and jerk before underlining his superiority with an eye-bulging, vein-swelling world record lfit of 196.5kg (only 195kg counted to the total) Opening shots in the battle of the Bulgarians came in the snatch division with Boevski and Markov, a former world titleholder, pushing the weights higher and higher. Boevski equalled his own world record of 162.5kg set in Athens last November to take the lead but it was shortlived. Markov, who has a large tattoo of a bulldog on his right arm, strode purposefully onto stage and hoisted a new world mark of 165kg. Lavrenov had earlier failed to better Boveski's record with an attempt at 163kg. In the earlier women's event, bubbly Colombian weightlifter Maria Isabel Urrutia won the country's first ever gold medal on Wednesday as her mother prayed for her success thousands of miles away. Urrutia, a veteran of 35 who was second in the 1989 World Championships, edged into gold medal spot over Nigeria's Ruth Ogbeifo and Kuo Yi-hang of Taiwan because she had a lighter frame. All three lifted a total of 245kg with Urrutia taking the history making first spot in the 75kg division on lower body weight. Ogbeifo was second, also on lower body weight, with Kuo in third spot. Kuo had been gunning for Taiwan's first gold medal. "The first person who came to my mind after the win was my mother who has always looked out for me," said Urrutia. "I called her just before the competition and she said she would pray to God for my success.
|
