Flyweight (≤48 kilograms), Women

The 1999 World Champion was Bulgarian Donka Mincheva but she was only one month out from an appendectomy. She competed but failed to complete a lift and was eliminated. The world record holder was Liu Xiuhua of China but because nation’s could only enter lifters in four women’s classes, the Chinese elected not to enter Liu in this class. Without them, Mincheva’s teammate, Izabela Dragneva, posted the best total, lifting 190.0 kg to seemingly win the gold medal, but she then tested positive for Lasix (furosemide), a powerful diuretic used by athletes as a masking agent to help them pass drug tests. With those three out, the gold medal came down to American Tara Nott and Indonesian Raema Lisa Rumbewas, who tied on total with 185.0 kg, but Nott won the gold medal based on lower bodyweight. Rumbewas would move up in weight and win another silver medal at Athinai as a featherweight. Nott also competed at the 2004 Olympics, placing 10th in this class.