DPRK's lifter Pak Hyon Suk scored a narrow win in the women's 63kg class on Tuesday, bringing the first gold to her country at the Beijing Olympics.

Pak, 23, totaled 241kg to beat Kazakhstan's rookie lifter Irina Nekrassova, who lifted 240kg in total.

She said the gold is the biggest present for the 60-year anniversary of the founding of DPRK.

And, "the gold medal is the best present for the president, for the people, for the country and for myself," she said.

As Russian medal hopeful Svetlana Tsarukaeva, runner-up of the 2007 world championships, dropped off competition due to three failed attempts in snatch, the event turned out to be an one-to-one fight between Pak, bronze medalist of 2007 world championships and 20-year-old Nekrassova.

Nekrassova lifted 110kg in snatch and Pak snatched 106.

Pak tried to catch up with Nekrassova in clean and jerk by trying 135kg in her first two attempts, but failed. Nekrassova succeeded the first attempt of 130kg, but failed the last two for 135.

Pak, in her do-or-die last try, seized the chance and made it, getting the gold from Nekrassova.

"Although the athletes before me didn't perform well I did my best," Pak said.

The Russian burst into tears right after Pak's success and couldn't stop crying even when watching her national flag raised.

"I have no words. It's a big disappointment," she said.

China didn't enter lifters in the class under a rule that restricts each NOC's competitors to a maximum of four in women's event. That's why Chinese veteran lifter Liu Haixia, 2007 world champion and world record holder in this category, missed the competition. Athens Olympic champion, Thai strongwoman Pawina Thongsuk, who holds the other two world records of snatch and clean and jerk, didn't take part either as she announced her retirement not long before the Olympics.

Without the two stars, Tuesday's event was sort-of boring as the gold medalist's achievement is even three kilos less than what Chinese lifter Chen Yanqing did in women's 58kg class on Monday. Only Pak's dramatic reversion finally added some color to it.

Another Kazakhstan lifter Maya Maneza, ranked first on list with an entry total of 241kg withdrew from the Games just before the competition began.

Maneza, a Chinese who now represents Kazakhstan, said she had problems with her elbow.

"I had some urgent therapy, but before the competition today I tried to lift the bar and couldn't," she said, adding she's disappointed.

"I thought I could have won a medal," she said.

The bronze went to Lu Ying-Chi of Chinese Taipei, who cleared a total of 231kg.

She said her target was in the top eight and wasn't nervous at all when waiting to see if she could claim a medal.

"My coach cheated me, saying my rank was seventh," she told the after-game press conference.

Lu said her coach Zhang Jiamin, who is from the Chinese mainland, helped her a lot.

"I'd love to keep practising after the Olympics," said the 23-year-old.

(Xinhua News Agency August 12, 2008)