Hou defends weightlifting gold with stunning comeback
China claimed a second weightlifting gold of the night in dramatic fashion on Thursday morning, as reigning champion Hou Zhihui produced a stunning comeback on the final attempt of the evening to retain her 49kg title. Mihaela Cambei of Romania put herself on pole position after clearing 93kg in the snatch, 4kg more than her Chinese opponent. Cambei then thought she had gold in the bag after registering 112kg in the clean and jerk, extending her advantage over Hou to 6kg. With her back against the wall, Hou had to clear 117kg on her last attempt – 1kg more than her own Olympic record set in Tokyo three years ago – to leapfrog Cambei. She completed the clean, then, as the crowd held its breath, mustered just enough energy to execute the jerk, pushing the barbell high above her head. The 27-year-old pumped her fists in the air and let out a victorious roar as her lift was confirmed, while Cambei gracefully congratulated her opponent. Bronze went to Surodchana Khambao of Thailand.