Zhan Xugang

Zhan Xugang ( born May 15, 1974 in Kaihua, China) is a former Chinese weightlifters and two -time Olympic champion.

Sporting career

His first try at an international championship had Zhan at the 1993 Junior World Championships in Cheb, where he in a light weight up to 70 kg with a duel capacity of 325.0 kg ( 145.0 / 180.0 kg ) won gold. In 1994, he was able to repeat this in his second World Junior Championship in Jakarta with 327.5 kg ( 145.0 / 182.5 kg ).

Also in 1994 he was inducted into the Senior National Team of China and had in the same year his first appearance at a World Cup. In Istanbul he failed three times to its initial load of 145.0 kg in the snatch and could only bring his first attempt with 180.0 kg in bumping. During the World Cup the following year in Guangzhou, he could ( 157.5 / 190.0 kg ) prove with 347.5 kg in first place before Fedail Güler with 345.0 kg and 340.0 kg with Ergun Batmaz. In the individual disciplines Zhan won two silver medals.

This power he was able to increase again in Atlanta at the 1996 Olympics and secured with 357.5 kg ( 162.5 / 195.0 kg ) vies sovereign gold medal. The runner-up Kim Myong -Nam Il raised with 345.0 kg 12.5 kg less.

1997 started Zhan at the World Championships in Chiang Mai, where he had difficulties with his initial load again in the snatch and only in the third attempt could bring valid 157.5 kg. In thrusting he increased from 190.0 kg on a new world record of 195.5 197.5 kg, the duel would have meant gold, but where he failed. He finished with 352.5 kg in single combat thus second place behind Slatan Wanew, who lifted 355.0 kg.

With the change of the weight classes Zhan In 1998, the middleweight division, which had a limit of 77 kg now. In his first World Cup in the new class in Lahti Zhan failed on all three tear tests and could handle its initial load of 200.0 kg only at the second attempt in pushing. At an increase of 202.5 kg gold which would have meant the pushing, he also failed. The winner was Wanew with 365.0 kg. The Asian Games 1998 could Zhan with 355.0 kg gain ( 160.0 / 195.0 kg ) before the Iranians Barkhah Mohammad Hossein and the Kazakhs Sergey Filimonov.

As already fully exploit the World Cup 1999 in Athens, most of the middleweights their weight limit, the power density was higher here than it was in 1998. Were sufficient Zhan 365.0 kg ( 162.5 / 202.5 kg ) this year for the fourth place. The three medalists Badr Saelem Nayef, Victor Mitrou and Plamen Jeliazkov each scored 370.0 kg, only the body weight decided the placement.

In preparation for the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney Zhan won the Asian Championships the same year, in Osaka, where he met with a duel profit of 365.0 kg sovereign ( 165.0 / 200.0 kg ) won the first place and even waive its respective third attempts could. Second was Filiminow 362.5 kg.

Although in the snatch another time was able to bring only his first attempt with 160.0 kg at the Olympics and failed twice to 165.0 kg, were enough two valid experiments in collision with 202.5 kg and 207.5 kg for winning his second Olympic gold medal. On the third attempt Zhan could do without, as all medal candidates had already terminated after 202.5 kg thrusting, and thus no longer had the potential to endanger its placement. The runner-up Mitrou also scored 367.5 kg ( 165.0 / 202.5 kg ), but was heavier.

After several years of break from competition on the international stage, Zhan first appeared again in 2003 for the World Cup in Vancouver. Here he was able to bring only a valid test with 155.0 kg in the snatch and failed in pushing three times to 195.0 kg, with which he remained unplaced. The winner was the Iranians Mejad with 357.5 kg.

The Asian Championships in Olympic year 2004 in Almaty ended Zhan with 350.0 kg as third behind Filiminow with 370.0 kilograms and his compatriot Li Hongli 360.0 kg. Nevertheless, Zhan was nominated instead of Li for the Olympic Games in Athens. Here he failed three times to its initial load of 157.5 kg in the snatch and thus different from from the competition. This was the last competition Zhan dar.

Despite his 11 -year international career, and although Zhan emerged as one of the favorites in a variety of competitions, he remained in terms of success far below its potential. This was mainly due to his inconsistency. So he alone brought in four major international championships in one of the two sub-disciplines not a single valid trial and failed statistically almost every second time at its initial load.

Zhan was during his career four world records in the light, and set a world record at middleweight.

Others

• Zhan appeared in a commercial with the organization WildAid, which occurs for the protection of tigers.

Personal best

• Tear: 165.0 kg in class to 77 kg at the 2000 Asian Championships in Osaka
• Launched: 207.5 kg in class to 77 kg at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney
• Duel: 367.5 kg ( 160.0 / 207.5 kg ) in the class up to 77 at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney