Monday, August 11, 2008

Thailand's Wandee Kameaim misses weightlifting medal

Weightlifter Wandee Kameaim (Thai: วันดี คำเอี่ยม), missed the second Olympic medal for Thailand in the women's 58kg division at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games at the Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics Gymnasium on August 11, 2008.



Wandee's Profile:
Born: 18 Jan 1978
Height: 1.50 m / 4'11"
Weight: 58 kg / 128 lbs

30 year old Wandee Kameaim, a native of Si Saket, weighed in at 57.25 kg and managed to lift 98 kg in the Snatch. She went on to lift her best of 128 kg at the Clean and Jerk, lifting a total of 226 kg and finished fourth overall. Her parents watched her live on television from their family home in Si Saket.

Kameaim is known for her cheers of "Su Su" prior to her lifts, which means "fight" in Thai. Kameaim competed in the women's 58 kg at the 2004 Summer Olympics at Athens and won the bronze medal. Kameaim then competed in the women's 58 kg at the 2005 World Championships in Doha, Qatar and won the silver medal there. A year later she took the bronze medal at the 2006 World Weightlifting Championships.

The gold medal was clinched by China's Yanqing Chen who lifted 106 kg in the Snatch and 138 kg in the Clean and Jerk. She lifted a total of 244 kg and broke the Olympics Record.

In the photo below, Yanqing Chen of China waves to spectators while Thailand's Wandee is seen on the left

(Photo credit: Xinhua/Wu Wei)

Russia's Marina Shainova claimed the silver medal by lifting 98 kg in the Snatch and 129 kg in the Clean and Jerk. She lifted a total of 227 kg, 1 kg higher than Wandee.

DPR Korea's Jong Ae O claimed the bronze medal by lifting 95 kg in the Snatch and 131 kg in the Clean and Jerk. She lifted a total of 226 kg, equaling Wandee's total lift but her body weight was lower than Wandee.

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