Out of the dressing room and onto the stage, alone in the glare of the spotlights, they plant their feet, carefully place one talcum-powdered hand at a time onto the bar, focus on some distant spot and lift. In recent years Asian women have dominated the sport, with China, Taiwan and India holding world championships in six of the seven weight divisions. Yang's compatriots, Xiaomen Chen in the 63 kg and Weining Lin in the 69 kg categories, completed the hat trick for China. However, it was Bulgaria's Izabela Dragneva who won the first women's Olympic gold with a total lift of 190 kg in the 48-kg class. Jimenez Mendivil outlifted Korea's Asian champion, Song Hui Ri, in the 58-kg category after hot favorite Ri blew her chances of gold when, with two lifts remaining, she inexplicably failed to make a second attempt within the allotted time.
All sports are for women.