LONDON - Svetlana Podobedova won Kazakhstan's third weightlifting gold of the London Olympics on Friday after an epic battle with Russia's Natalya Zabolotnaya in a head-to-head so close that the medals were decided by the athletes' bodyweight.
Podobedova’s total of 291 kg, sealed with the last lift of
the competition, put her level with Zabolotnaya but because the
Kazakh weighed in with a bodyweight 220 grams lower she was
awarded the gold. The 291 kg total was a new Olympic record.
The bronze medal went to Belarusian Iryna Kulesha.
Podobedova, 26, competed for Russia until 2006 according to
the International Weightlifting Federation website, before
re-entering international competition under the Kazakhstan flag
in 2009.
Zabolotnaya was only added to the Russian team just over a
week ago when her team mate Oxana Slivenko was forced to
withdraw for medical reasons.
World champion Nadezda Evstyukhina of Russia made a surprise
early exit after she was unable to complete a lift in the snatch
section of the competition.
Athletes need to complete both a snatch and a clean and jerk
lift to post a total, with the highest combined weight taking
the gold.
