Pimsiri Sirikaew Wins Silver Medal for Thailand

58kg weightlifter Pimsiri Sirikaew earned a 2012 Olympic silver medal

 

Chiangrai Times – Pimsiri Sirikaew has earned a 2012 Olympic silver medal on Monday night, with a second Thai barely missing out on bronze.

Pimsiri was stuck in sixth place as she came to her last lift in the 19-woman field. But she told officials to add four kilogrammes to the bars, and lifted 140kg – a record lift for the Khon Kaen native.

But the result was heartbreak for Kattikan Gulnoi of Bangkok, who finished a single kilo behind bronze medallist Yuliya Kalina of Ukraine in fourth place.

Rattikan Gulnoi fell short of Bronze

On just the third day of full competition at the 2012 Games, Pimsiri and Rattikan were realistically Thailand’s last hope for a women’s medal.

Both Thais made personal-best lifts in the event, which has two parts – a snatch, and then a clean-and-jerk. Pimsiri and Rattikan both lifted 100kg in the first section, before their supreme records in the C&J.

Going into Monday afternoon’s (London time) event, Pimsiri planned a snatch of 98 kilos, then moving to a clean and jerk of 128kg, second heaviest of the event.

Rattikan had planned a 95kg snatch and a C&J of 125kg.

But more than half the 19 competitors opted to lift 100kg or more in the snatch, forcing the Thais to step up their game.

After snatching 100kg on her very first attempt, Pimsiri ordered another 3kg on the bars – but then failed twice to make 103kg.

Even if she had made that lift, it would not have affected the outcome. The dominant Yi won the gold with lifts of 10kg more than second-place Pimsiri.