Long QingquanSTAR WATCH
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Chinese weightlifter Long Qingquan .Reuters photo
When Chinese weightlifter Long Qingquan clinched the gold in the men’s 56kg category, he didn’t just break a 16-year-old world record but also shattered the dreams of North Korea’s Om Yun-Chol.
Om, a fan-favourite and the defending champion, did all he could for a second straight Olympic gold but Long had other plans. The 25-year-old, who came second to Om in the 2013 World Championship meet, pipped his arch-rival Long in a dramatic last attempt in the clean and jerk.
A two-time junior world record holder, Long went toe-to-toe with Om in an intense battle and eventually lifted a combined total of 307 kg to break the Sydney Games record and bag his second Olympic gold.