Heavyweight (≤75 kilograms), Women

China’s Zhang Shichun would have been the favorite. She held the world record and initially won the 2003 World Championships, but she was caught doping, stripped of her records and 2003 title, and banned for two years. Two other contenders were Thailand’s Pawina Thongsuk and Russian Valentina Popova. Thongsuk was the 2002 World Champion as a light-heavyweight, while Popova won a silver medal at the 2002 Worlds behind Thongsuk, had won bronze in light-heavy at the 2001 Worlds, and a silver medal as a middleweight at the 2000 Olympics.

The leader after the snatch was Popova’s teammate Nataliya Zabolotnaya with 125.0 kg, followed by Thongsuk and then Popova. Thongsuk then had the best clean & jerk with 150.0 kg, moving her into a tie with Zabolotnaya at a world record total of 272.5 kg, while Popova had to settle for the bronze medal. Thongsuk won the gold medal as she was much lighter than Zabolotnaya, weighing only 69.29 to 74.09 kg.