Tanasan wins first weightlifting gold at Rio Olympics (updated)

Sopita Tanasan of Thailand won the gold medal of the women' s 48kg contention with a total of 200kg at the Rio Olympics on Saturday.

The 21-year-old lifter Tanasan secured her first Olympic gold after lifting 106kg in her first attempt in clean and jerk. She then succeeded in her second attempt with 108kg, but failed to lift 110kg.

"I expected and hoped for a gold medal. I am very proud to have it," Tanasan said after the event.

Tanasan, the fourth place winner of the women' s 53kg category at the 2015 world championships, changed her category to the 48kg as she aimed at the gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

The girl gave her country the first gold medal at the Rio Olympics in an unexpected easy way as she lifted her first snatch at 88kg after all the other eleven lifters finished their snatch attempts and then finished her solo with the final snatch of 92kg.

"I am very proud that I got the gold for my country."

Sri Wahyunl Agustiani of Indonesia, silver medalist in the Asian Games in 2014, got the silver with 192kg and Hiromi Miyake of Japan, silver medalist at the London Olympics, bagged home the bronze in 188kg.

"I am very happy. This is my first Olympic Games, so I am just very grateful that I won a medal." said Agustiani.

The 30-year-old Miyake, participating for her fourth Olympics, regarded this medal was the best gift for her hard training.

"I don' t want to think about retire or not right now. I need time to have a good rest and then will give the answer," she said.

The Chinese weightlifting team decided to replace lifter Hou Zhihui of 48kg category by Meng Suping of over-75kg category as Hou suffered a knee injury before the Games in Beijing.

China had won three medals in this event including two golds in the Beijing and London Olympics and one silver at the Athens Games. China did not have an entry in the women' s 48kg category at the Sydney Olympics 2000. Endit