Weightlifting: 85kg Kazakh's Yershov lifts gold

Vyacheslav Yershov of Kazakhstan gambled on his starting weights in both the snatch and the clean and jerk to win the men's 85kg weightlifting event at Al-Dana Sports Club.

Yershov beat Lu Yong of China for the gold and prevented China from sweeping all six events they entered at the Games. Yershov won with 377kg total, Lu got silver with 369kg total and 20-year old Kim Seon Jong got bronze with 355kg total.

Yershov, who turns 26 in two days, rolled the dice from the word go, waiting until 170kg to enter the snatch where Lu Yong was poised to take his final attempt at 170kg. Yershov went first at 170kg and raised the weight to give him the lead. Then Lu failed to lift 170kg and with Lu out Yershov upped the ante.

In an attempt to equal the Asian snatch record (175kg), set by Iran's Shahin Nassirinia in 1999, Yershov asked for 5kg to be added to the bar. He failed at 175kg on his second attempt, but came back and snatched the weight successfully on his third.

Yershov continued his, Las Vegas gambler's ways in the clean and jerk. He originally indicated he would enter the competition at 155kg, but as his competitors dropped out Yershov waited patiently and kept raising his starting weight. The 20-year old Lu, in silver medal position after the snatch, had no choice but to follow Yershov's lead if he wanted to get gold.

With three men still in the clean and jerk, Yershov announced he would enter at 195kg. Lu followed suit and went first. Both men raised 195kg on their first attempt and, as the last two standing, they upped the weight to 202kg for their second attempt. Both did clean lifts.

Then Yershov laid his final card on the table and announced he would attempt 211kg on his final effort. LU went first at 211kg and failed.

With the gold in hand, Yershov revealed his bluff and announced he would not make an attempt at 211kg.

By By 15th Asian Games, Doha 2006