"If I can go to the Beijing Olympics, I will definitely beat Jang Mi Ran and win the gold," said Mu Shuangshuang, a Chinese weightlifter and also a world record holder in the women's above 75kg division on Monday. However, she is still waiting to be qualified to participate in the Olympics.
"The final list will be fixed in July, and I do hope I will be included. Given the chance, I will be the champion with the world focusing on my victory," she said during a phone interview Monday evening. She is currently training with the national weightlifting team in Tianjin.
The 24-year-old weightlifter, born in Jilin, enters the national weightlifting team after the 2004 Athens Olympics. She gradually becomes world-famous during the following four years by successively winning snatch world titles in the last three years.
Her strongest opponent is the DPR Korean weightlifter Jang Mi Ran. At every world championships from 2005 to 2007, Jang and Mu got the same score at jerk and total, but Mu lost all three titles as she weighed heavier.
Though Mu lost to Jang for most of the times at world-level competitions, she seemed to be saving the best for the Olympics.
"Mu Shuangshuang is definitely in a better condition, while Jang doesn't have a steady performance," said Han Dongshen, vice director of Jilin Weight Sports Administration Center.
According to Han, Mu snatched 145 kg, jerked 183 kg to win the title with a total of 328 kg at China's National Weightlifting Championships in April, nine kilograms more than the world record held by herself. Meanwhile, Jang Mei Ran snatched 135 kg, jerked 183 kg and totaled 318 kg in the Olympic qualification tournament in DPR Korea.
"There's a distinct between the two athletes," said Han.
The Chinese women weightlifting team is seen as the "dream team " in the world weightlifting field. To give more chances to other weightlifting teams, the International Weightlifting Federation allows each team to participate in only four categories out of seven, which means Mu still has to compete athletes of other categories for going to Olympics.
"Compared with the champions at the Athens Olympics, Mu Shuangshuang has already exceeded Tang Gonghong, the 2004 Olympic gold winner, 23 kg in total score. Her total score is nine kilograms more than the world record, in addition, she still has five kilograms more to advance," said Zhang Yuhai, Mu's coach at the provincial team of Jilin.
"I've been making steady progress ever since 2005, and I believe in my dashing spirit. Now I'm peacefully waiting for the final call for the Beijing Olympics," Mu said with a gentle tone.
(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2008)