Women's Team:
48kg - Yang Lian
Yang is a world record holder in the snatch (98kg), clean and jerk (119kg) and total (217kg).
58 - Chen Yanqing
After winning gold in her class in 2004, Chen announced retirement. In 2006, she made her comeback, setting a world record total with lifts of 111kg in the snatch, and 137kg in the clean and jerk, for a 248kg total.
69kg - Liu Chunhong
After winning gold in Athens, Liu moved to the 75kg class, setting new world records in the snatch, clean and jerk, and total. She eventually returned to the 69kg class, losing an extremely close battle for gold with Russian lifter Oxana Slivenko at the 2007 Worlds. Expect a rematch in Beijing.
75kg - Cao Lei
Cao reigned supreme at the 2007 worlds in Chiang Mai, posting lifts of 128kg in the snatch and 158kg in the clean and jerk for a 286kg total and a gold medal.
Men's Team
56kg - Long QingQuan
Long clean and jerking 170kg in training.
Don't let his 1990 birth date deceive you. At only 18 years old, Long is the favorite for gold in the 56kg weight class. He snatched 132kg and clean and jerked 160kg at the Olympic Trials in April. He even gave 164kg, 4kg off the world record, a very good go. Expect him to be in top shape in Beijing and possibly run away from the field if he tops his Trials performance.
62kg - Zhang Xiang Xiang
A medalist at the 2000 Olympics in the 56kg class at the young age of 17, Zhang injured his back in 2003, forcing him out of serious competition for almost three years. Returning as a 62kg lifter, China clearly have high hopes for him - he was given the honor of being the first to hold Olympic torch as it journeyed throughout the nation.
69kg - Liao Hui
Liao announced his presence as a contender in the 69kg class last November by winning the Chinese Inner City games. Along the way he also unofficially broke two junior world records, one in the snatch and one in the total. In that competition, he snatched 156kg, clean and jerked 185kg, and totaled 347kg. With a spectacular performance at the Chinese Olympic Trials in April of this year, Liao most likely secured his spot on the team. At the Trials he snatched 160kg and clean and jerked 195kg for a massive 355kg total. After this performance he is the favorite in the 69kg class in Beijing.
69kg - Shi Zhiyong
Shi is a snatch specialist who won gold at the 2004 Olympics in Athens in the 62kg division. He has since moved up to the 69kg division, and in 2005, won gold at the World Championships in Doha, Qatar. He snatched 161kg at the Olympic Trials for gold in that discipline. However, he was only successful with 185kg in the clean and jerk. He will have to improve upon those marks to contend with his teammate Liao Hui and Armenia's Tigran Martirosyan next month.
77kg - Li HongLi
Known as a snatch specialist, Li HongLi won the 2005 World Championship in the 77kg division. He will be competing in an extremely tough 77kg class in Beijing, featuring 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist Taner Sagir (Turkey) and 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Oleg Perepetchenov (Russia). He snatched 163kg and clean and jerked 201kg for a 364kg total at the recent Chinese Olympic Trials and first in his class. He will need to improve upon that total to be competitive in Beijing.
85kg - Lu Yong
Lu won silver at the 2005 World Championships in Doha, Qatar in the 85kg division as a junior. A poor showing at the 2007 Royal World Weightlifting Championships in Chang Mai, Thailand, left everyone scratching their heads. However, at the Chinese Olympic Trials in April, Lu Yong showed the world that he will be a contender for gold at this year's Olympic Games. He snatched 180kg and clean and jerked 213kg in a perfect six-for-six performance and a 393kg total. One thing is for certain - the Chinese delegation would not be sending Lu to Beijing if they did not think he was prepared to compete for the gold against the Belorussian favorite, Andrei Rybakov.
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