Chinese weightlifter wins gold – on ONE LEG: Li Fabin uses ‘flamingo’ style to correct his balance and secure victory
- Li Fabin pulled off one-legged ‘flamingo’ on opening clean and jerk lift on Sunday
- He made it two out of two Olympic weightlifting gold medals for China
- Li said he had lost his balance and it was a scenario he was practising in training
- Advised against trying the move because ‘it bears serious risk of injury’
Flamboyant Chinese weightlifter Li Fabin pulled off his signature one-legged ‘flamingo’ on his opening clean and jerk lift on Sunday.
Li, 28, made the audience laugh when he avoided a loss of balance by lifting his right leg in the air – and he joined in the laughter himself after releasing the bar, winning his second gold medal.
Li told a news conference: ‘It was a momentary mistake. I almost lost my balance, but I had been working on this scenario in training.’
The flamboyant Li Fabin pulled off his signature one-legged ‘flamingo’ on his opening clean and jerk lift on Sunday
Li had pulled off the same move during the 2017 Asian Championships.
He said: ‘I am aware that it’s entertaining, but I advise against trying it because it bears serious risk of injury.
‘I have a very strong core, and I have really worked hard on that move.’
He also said that he is someone who has an unorthodox technique to correct a lift, rather than a show- off.
Li broke the Olympic record on Sunday in the clean and jerk and total categories, lifting 172kg and 313kg respectively.
Clean and jerk is a movement where the athlete brings the barbell up to their shoulders from the floor, before lifting the barbell into a stationery position over their head.
China have received six gold medals in the first two days of the competition in Tokyo.
In three weightlifting events, China have won three gold medals, keeping its perfect record in Tokyo Olympic weightlifting on Sunday.
It was gold or nothing when Chen Lijun stepped onto the stage for his second lift in the clean and jerk. He had two shots at lifting 187kg – one kilogram short of the world record – to beat Colombia’s Luis Javier Mosquera. Fail and he was off the podium in the 67kg category.
Chen made the lift look easy, sparking loud celebrations as team officials in the hall waved flags. It came five years after cramps ending his Olympic medal hopes in Rio de Janeiro.
Chen’s gold was China’s second win of the day, after Li won the 61kg class with the ‘flamingo’ lift.
Li broke the Olympic record on Sunday in the clean and jerk and total categories, lifting 172kg and 313kg respectively
All eight Chinese weightlifted in Tokyo are gold medal contenders. Conditions are favourable for a historic sweep.
Traditional rival North Korea is skipping the Tokyo Olympics entirely, citing the coronavirus pandemic. Many other leading nations are fielding smaller squads because of past doping.
No country can enter more than eight of the 14 competitions, which meant tough decisions for China.
Some world record holders were even left at home, testifying to the depth of talent.
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