Not enough time to follow yourself or not #London2012

In the men's 77kg weightlifting there was all sorts of drama at the end of the first snatch phase.

First of all Sa Jaehyouk (KOR) attempting 162kg dislocated his right elbow. The two Chinese Lu Haojie and Lu Xiaojun had yet to lift.

Lu Haojie the younger man came out first to lift 170kg, only 2 kg less than the Olympic record. Lu Xiaojun the official World Record holder of 174kg followed easily too.

Then they lifted to 175kg which Lu Haojie had lifted in the Chinese championships but was not a confirmed as a World record holder. He failed but Lu Xiaojun was successful for a new world record.

The new world record for snatch

He was ready to make an attempt at 177kg, but Lu Haojie had not declared a weight so instead of 2 minutes to follow himself he had only 1 minute to follow Lu Haojie, so was not allowed an attempt to extend his world record and was declared a failure despite him not being allowed out to attempt.

Injured but happy with silver Lu Haojei

The reason that Lu Haojie had not come out was clear during the clean and jerk as he came out well under his normal weight with 190kg in tears and lifted it obviously in pain in an attempt to win a medal. He managed to get two white lights, heaven  knows what would have happened if he had two reds.

In the end Lu Xiaojun won with a combined total of 379kg another new world record (having failed 204kg on his second attempt but getting it on his third) and Lu Haojie did end up taking the silver despite that injury with a total of 360kg.

Ivan Cambar Rodriguez (CUB) found himself in the surprising battle for bronze, which he won  with 349kg from Chatuphum Chinnawong (THA) 348kg  and Ibrahim Ramadan Ibrahim (EGY) 347kg.