Games Begin!

China Starts Lifting Off Right

The women's 48kg category got the 2008 Olympic Games going in strong fashion. Be sure to watch the competition during NBC's prime time lineup.

2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Taylan disappointed, with three pathetic attempts in the Snatch at 84kg. Remember, in 2004 she was the first woman to snatch double bodyweight. Actually, 84kg presented quite a challenge to this class, with 1 success and 6 failures. Three bomb-outs in the Snatch resulted.

Favorite Chen of CHN did not disappoint. She lifted pretty much unopposed, making all 6 attempts and ending up with Olympic records in the C&J and Total.

Our broadcast team worked this group for 6 hours, finally getting back to the hotel at 4:00 a.m. Today's session has us calling the event at 2:30 a.m. (EDT).  NBC is calling many of the sports from its NYC headquarters at 30 Rockefeller in New York. In fact, we're actually doing the show from the Saturday Night Live studio. Weightlifting is using Bill Hader's dressing room for operations. The Coneheads are nearby. 

Want a Look at China's Success?

China's "other Chen," Chen Yanqing, 58kg, is featured in today's Wall Street Journal Weekend Edition. This is a very well written, highly detailed piece by Rebecca Blumenstein that looks at the system China has used to propel its female lifters to the top. Check it out at: www.WSJ.com/Olympics. 

No, you won't learn about her technique or her monthly volume and intensity. What you will see is an interesting view, from a sociological perspective (after all, that was my graduate work) of how China selects and grooms their lifters for Olympic success. And, more importantly, the hardships and opportunities that accompany such success. 

I'm reminded of a breakfast meeting I had with a Chinese coach at an international meet around 1986. He told me at that time that CHN had 10,000 female lifters (the US had fewer than 300), nearly all of them teenagers. In the coming year he stated CHN would boast 1.5 million female lifters! No doubt those numbers are higher today.

Today brings competition for the men's 56kg and the women's 53kg. More great lifting is bound to result.