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Cao Lei of China tries a lift during women's 75kg group A competition of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games weightlifting event in Beijing, China, Aug. 15, 2008. Cao Lei set the new Olympic record of women's 75kg snatch with 128 kg. [Yang Lei/Xinhua Photo]
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Cao, two-time world champion, dominated the game as she snatched 128kg, and lifted 154kg in clean and jerk, breaking three Olympic records.
She tried to break the total world record of 286kg in her third jerk attempt, by ordering 159kg, but failed. She bowed to the spectators and hugged with her coach Ma Wenhui.
She later explained that she could not focus on the last attempt because she thought about her mother.
Vazhenina snatched 119kg, and jerked 147kg.
Vazhenina, 25, runner-up of this year's Asian Championships, said she was happy with the silver medal.
"I didn't expect that I could get the silver," she said.
The bronze went to Russian Nadezda Evstyukhina, who totaled 264kg.
Evstyukhina said Cao Lei is strong and good psychologically.
"I was sure that I didn't have a real chance to compete with the Chinese girl," she said.