Ilin wins weightlifting gold for Kazakhstan

BEIJING (AP) Ilya Ilin won Kazakhstan's first weightlifting gold medal in the Beijing Olympics, edging his opponents in a close contest Sunday for the men's 94-kilogram title.

Ilin finished with a total of 406 kg (895.1 pounds), sealing the win with the last of his lifts.

European champion Szymon Kolecki of Poland took second place and Russia's Khadzhimurat Akkaev, who competed earlier Sunday in the "Group B" session with lower-rated lifters, won the bronze.

Akkaev blasted his coach for entering him into the lower group, saying he would have done even better if he had been competing with the top-rated lifters.

"My coach is a jerk," he said. "If I had competed in Group A, I would have won the gold. My competitors were chasing my kilos."

Akkaev's total of 402 kg (886.25 pound) was the mark to beat in the later session, but only Kolecki and Ilin were strong enough to surpass him.

They were in a tight race ahead of their last clean and jerk, raising the weights kilogram by kilogram until the spiky-haired Ilin finally went for it at 226 kg (498.2 pounds). His lift was successful, setting off loud cheers by flag-waving Kazakhs in the crowd.

Kolecki added 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) to the bar in a final attempt to gain the gold, but couldn't pull it off.

Georgian lifter Arsen Kasabiev, from the conflict-torn province of South Ossetia, failed a brave effort to jump from fourth to first place in the final lift of the competition.

He stumbled trying to clean and jerk 231 kg (509.3 pounds) and fell with the barbell crashing down on top of him. Kasabiev was helped off the stage.

Ilin hurt his left arm in his second snatch and passed on his third to get some rest for the clean and jerk.

"I hurt my elbow and the doctor tried to fix it," he said. "I was worried that I could not compete, but my coach helped me and gave me confidence. He helped me stand up psychologically."

Ilin's coach ran out on the platform to embrace the Kazakh lifter after his final clean and jerk.

In the snatch, the bar is raised above the head in one continuous motion. The clean and jerk is a two-part lift in which the bar is first raised to shoulder level before being pushed overhead.

China won eight of the 15 weight classes but was not represented in the 94-kg category, which was the most even so far. The men's two heaviest divisions will be decided Monday and Tuesday.

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