LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 30: Oscar Albeiro Figueroa Mosquera of Colombia competes in the Men’s 62kg Weightlifting on Day 3 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at ExCeL on July 30, 2012 in London, England. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) (2012 Getty Images)
Oscar Figueroa Mosquera of Colombia, who left the Beijing Olympics empty handed because of a hand injury, won the silver medal at the London Olympics, placing behind North Korean Kim Un Guk.
Eko Yuli Irawan of Indonesia took bronze.
Un Guk set a world record total of 327 kilograms in the men’s 62-kilogram division. World champion Zhang Jie of China missed the podium, finishing in fourth place.
In Beijing, Figueroa left the injury in tears after an injury prevented him from grabbing the snatch. He hands slipped, and he eventually left the competition with his spirits shattered. His colleague at the time, Diego Salazar also of Colombia, won the silver medal in 2008.
Kim did a victory dance after the snatch, where he lifted 153 kilograms in his third attempt, equaling the world record and setting a new Olympic mark.
Zhang only managed 140 kilograms in the snatch, failing two attempts at 145, putting him virtually out of reach of the gold medal heading into the clean and jerk.
Kim solidified his lead by clearing 170 kilograms in his first clean and jerk, before loading the barbell with 174 kilograms, with the aim of breaking Zhang’s world record total of 326 kilograms. He succeeded in his last lift, sending the crowd roaring in the ExCeL center.
