August 9, Beijing ¨C The Gymnasium of the Beijing Aeronautics and Astronautics University witnessed China's success of its first gold medal in the 29th Olympics by Cantonese Chen Xiexia in the women's 48 kg weightlifting competition.

Chen bagged the gold for the host and her home-province of Guangdong in Beijing on the first match day with a new Olympic record of 212 kg in total.

The 25-year-old girl snatched 95kg and jerked 117kg in her Olympic debut.

Chen Xiexia from China makes a successful snatch in the Olympic women's 48 kg weightlifting competition, in Beijing on August 9.

Gold medalist Chen Xiexia of China shows the gold medal at the award ceremony of the women's 48kg weightlifting at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 9. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

Chen Xiexia (C) of China, Sibel Ozkan (L) of Turkey and Chen Weiling (R) of Chinese Taipei wave to spectators at the awarding ceremony. (Xinhua/Yang Lei)

This title is regarded as a "huge boost to China" by Cui Dalin, Vice Minister of Sport of China , as two favorite athletes failed to win the opening gold of this Olympic Games in women's shooting earlier yesterday.

Sibel Ozkan of Turkey and Chen Weiling of Chinese Taipei took home the silver and bronze respectively.

Chen had a victorious start

From the very beginning, the weights which Chen lifted were more than all her rivals. She showed up as the last contestant yet easily snatched the barbells of three weights.

Before her, the defending champion Taylan from Turkey surprisingly failed to lift in all three efforts hence withdrawing from the contest.

In the jerking part, Chen met a small challenge towards her victory with a cushion lead of 13 kg in total.

Insomnia before the debut

Chen Xiexia was under a great deal of pressure to take back the gold medal which China had lost in Athens. She took over the world record keeper Yang Lian to enter the 29th Olympiad Games for China in her first Olympic endeavor.

Chen makes a naughty gesture. (Guangzhou Daily)

"I was very nervous and even had some insomnia before the final", she confessed.

Despite all this, Chen's coach was extremely confident of her good shape.

Smile to release the pressure

Chosen by the army sport's team when she did not make it the local team, this countryside girl from Panyu, Guangzhou is well-known for her initiative and stamina.

Speaking with a strong sense of self-confidence, Chen said she's, "usually convinced to take on any weightlifting tasks". Her laughter and smile reflects the ability to, "shrug off the pressure and tiredness".

Her main advantage is the tested stability of performance. She keeps her successful lifts ranging only between 215 ¨C 220 kg competitively in trainings, well above her opponents and still has potential to improve. It made her ahead of veteran Yang Lian to be enlisted for the Games, even though her leg was injured in the last internal test match only two months before the Olympiad.

Booming popularity and support from home

Wang Yang, Secretary of Chinese Communist Party of Guangdong Province, congratulated Chen Xiexia warmly just after the award ceremony.
Luo Weifeng, Magistrate of Panyu, Chen's hometown, cheered for her at the venue.

Chen aroused huge public adoration from spectators who claimed, "You are very pretty today", while one claimed "So lovely! I like her very much".

(Written by Chen Weisheng, Yang Min, Zeng Weikang, Zhang Qiang, Translated by Li Weijia)