Weightlifting: Cries, tears and twisted elbows

BEIJING (AP) Michaela Breeze's tormented face as she braved a back injury to lift 100 kilogram (220.5 pounds) was a study in pain.

Janos Baranyai's cries after his elbow popped out of socket were pure horror.

Olympic weightlifting is offering drama and agony of Herculean proportions, diverting attention from the doping scandals that have left the sport's reputation in tatters.

Unlike some Olympic venues, the small weightlifting arena is packed every day, often with visitors who end up here by chance, like Andrea Hammermann of Cologne, Germany. She received a ticket to the women's super heavyweight competition as a bonus with her airfare.

"When I told people I was going to weightlifting, they said 'how boring,'" said Hammermann, 24. "But it's not boring. They are really great and powerful. And it's a great atmosphere."

What surprises many first-time visitors is the outpouring of emotions. They never expected to see the burly lifters whimpering on the floor.

Colombia's Oscar Figueroa burst into tears when he failed three snatch attempts. Turkey's Izze Ince couldn't stop sniffling after a leg injury forced him to abandon the competition.

But no one cried like Russia's Svetlana Tsarukaeva, a favorite in the women's 63-kg class, who was eliminated after three failed attempts in the snatch.

Devastated and exhausted, she bawled so hard she missed the exit from the platform and smashed her head into the wall. The crowd went "Ooh" as a Russian coach led away the discombobulated lifter.

"The rules are designed so that every lift is decisive," said Benny Johansson, a technical controller at the event. "When you've achieved your goal - or the opposite - then the flood gates open. Even in the heavier divisions, you have big, strong men getting very emotional."

It's not all tears, though. There's a lot of fist pumping, muscle flexing and chest pounding, especially in the heavier divisions.

Russian strongman Khadzimurat Akkaev celebrated a good lift Sunday by pounding his fist into the floor with a testosterone-filled scream that would have put Tarzan to shame.

"I was under psychological pressure as I have not been competing for three years," he said. "This emotional outburst ... came as a result of everything that has happened to me in previous years."

Albania's Erkand Qerimaj completed each lift with a peculiar head twist. His countrywoman Romela Begaj celebrated with a hand stand.

"Every lifter has their own idiosyncrasies," said Salvatore Coffa, vice president of the International Weightlifting Federation. "Some hide their emotions, some do backflips."

Weightlifting officials are welcoming the entertainment, hoping this competition will be remembered for achievements on the field of play. With Greek and Bulgarian lifters banned for steroid use before the games, there were fears that doping scandals would once again steal the headlines.

Since the competition began, there had been no positive doping tests as of Sunday, with three men's competitions left on the schedule.

Instead, the focus has been on the Chinese dream team shattering world records and winning eight gold medals.

The most memorable performances, however, often come from lower-ranked lifters just trying to get through the competition.

Breeze's impressive manifestation of willpower in the women's 63-kg division on Tuesday stands out.

Despite a throbbing lower back injury, the British lifter stubbornly decided to take her last lift.

The crowd roared in support as she rose from a deep squat with the bar at shoulder height, her face crumpled in agony. Emptying the last reservoir of energy left in her aching body, she thrust the bar overhead and firmed up her wobbly legs.

"Come on!" she shouted at the three referees, desperately seeking the two white lights needed for a good lift. When the approval finally came, she slumped to the floor sobbing, the barbell crashing down beside her.

If that was the most heart-wrenching performance, Baranyai's was the most painful to watch.

The 24-year-old Hungarian was trying to lift 148 kg (326.3 pounds) in the men's 77-kilogram division, when his shoulder popped out of its socket.

No longer able to support the weight of the barbell, Baranyai's right forearm bent backward as he fell to the floor in shock, shaking and crying out in pain.

"If you hang on to the bar too long that's what happens," Coffa said. "Gravity is what it is."

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