Markov Wins the 77's
by Randall J. Strossen, IronMind Enterprises, Inc. © 2002
Warsaw, Poland – Tight, tough competition characterized the men's 77-kg category at the World Weightlifting Championships and Georgi Markov (Bulgaria) was the last man standing.
Li Hongli (China) won the snatches, with lifts of 165-, 170- and 172.5-kg. Markov got the silver, with a 170-kg snatch, and Hossein Barkah (Iran) got the bronze, with a lift of 165 kg. Top snatcher Plamen Zhelyazkov (Bulgaria) missed 165 twice, jumped to 170, for his closest miss.
Oleg Perepetchenov (Russia) won the clean and jerk, with a lift of 202.5 kg. Reyhjan Arabacioglu (Turkey) was second, with 200 kg. Markov got the bronze for his 200-kg lift, and Barkah, by virtue of bodyweight, was in fourth place for also cleaning and jerking 200. Maintaining the drama to the final moment, Perepetchenov took the last lift of the category, making a bid for the gold in the jerk and total with 207.5 kg on his third attempt; he cleaned it easily, but missed the jerk.