Liu Huanhua Clinches Gold in Men's 102kg Weightlifting at Paris Olympics

Liu Huanhua won China's fourth weightlifting gold medal in the men's 102kg category at the Paris Olympics. He triumphed over reigning Tokyo champion Akbar Djuraev, who had to cut down weight for the competition. This marks China's first win above 100kg, boosting confidence among heavyweight lifters.

Liu Huanhua secured China's fourth weightlifting gold medal at the Paris Olympics in the men's 102 kilograms category on Saturday.

Liu edged out Tokyo champion Akbar Djuraev of Uzbekistan, who had to drop weight from 109 kilograms to the reclassified division. Djuraev, who won gold three years ago at 240 pounds, managed a silver this time after cutting down to 224 pounds.

Djuraev acknowledged the difficulty of losing weight, suggesting it impacted his performance. 'For the next Olympics, maybe there will be another change to the weight categories,' he remarked optimistically. China, which previously won seven gold medals in weightlifting, has achieved its first victory above 100 kilograms.

'This gold medal is a significant proof and a breakthrough for the Chinese weightlifting team,' said Liu, 22, on his Olympic debut, expressing hopes that it would inspire other heavyweight lifters in China. Liu topped the podium with a score of 406, narrowly beating Djuraev's 404 and Belarusian Yauheni Tsikhantsou's 402 for bronze.

(With inputs from agencies.)