KAZAKHSTAN: OLYMPICS - Revellers in Almaty celebrate Kazakhstan's early victories at the Olympics and hope for more

Record ID: 330981

  • Title: KAZAKHSTAN: OLYMPICS - Revellers in Almaty celebrate Kazakhstan's early victories at the Olympics and hope for more
  • Date: 30th July 2012
  • Summary: PEDESTRIAN STREET (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) KAZAKH MUSIC STUDENT KURBAN, SAYING: "I want to wish our athletes luck, I want to congratulate those who already won something. May we have even more gold medals." PEOPLE WALKING ON ARBAT ARTIST DRAWING PEOPLE WALKING ON STREET
  • Embargoed: 14th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kazakhstan
  • Country: Kazakhstan
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAECDU0C5B8FZXYPBYY1RCTQBW9
  • Story Text: Kazakhstan celebrated its victories at the Olympics on Monday (July 30) with people taking to the streets to cheer their country's two gold medals.
    Kazakhstan's Zulfiya Chinshanlo won her country's second gold medal of the London Olympics with a world record in the women's 53 kilogram weightlifting on Sunday (July 30).
    Chinshanlo set a world record of 131 kg for the clean and jerk - the second of two styles of lift required in the Olympic competition - which when added to her earlier 95 kg in the snatch gave her an Olympic record total of 226 kg.
    The 19 year-old saw off stiff competition from Taiwan's Hsu Shu-Ching who lifted a total of 219 kg, while the bronze medal went to Cristina Iovu of Moldova who tied with Hsu on 219 kg but was placed third because her bodyweight was 380 grams higher.
    Soon after winning her country's first women's weightlifting gold Chinshanlo said she received a personal visit from the Kazakhstan president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
    In Chinshanlo's home country, the weightlifting victory set off a series of celebrations.

    "We're celebrating the victory of our national team in the Olympic Games. We're all happy," said one man, Omar in his car in the country's largest city, Almaty.

    "We believed in her. We all watch (the Olympics) every day. It was cool there." said Genghis, a student in Almaty.
    Chinshanlo sat in third place at the halfway stage after lifting 95 kg in the one-movement snatch lift but excelled in the two-phase clean and jerk, adding one kilogram to her own world record, set at the world championships in 2011.

    "It won't be just one or two there. There will be 10 or more gold medals. We are cheering for Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan forward!" Cadet Eldos told Reuters.

    "In general, it's only started, just a short amount of time has passed and Kazakhstan has become such a big competitor in the whole world so that everyone knows about us, knows that there are such talented sportsmen here who really love their country, as we do. We're for them," another student in Almaty, Edyk, told Reuters.
    Some said they expected more medals, and that the country's president had done much to further sports in the Central Asian country.

    "Well, we already have two gold medals, but according to the prognosis of the coaches, (we) expect more, that they will reach planned goals. Because this all is supported by the President himself, he started this all, so I think everything will be OK," Ikram Bayanov, head of a security firm in Almaty, told Reuters.
    Others said the Olympic victory had inspired them.

    "It's really cool. I found out that two of our beloved Kazakhs won two gold medals. All of us Kazakhs are happy for them. As for me, I will reach the same high (goals) as they have," medical student Marlin Ortambayev told Reuters.

    "Sports have become prestigious and fashionable. Before it was fashionable to smoke, drink, but now sports are cool," he added.
    Many said they thought Kazakhstan would bring in even more medals before the end of the games.

    "I want to wish our athletes luck, I want to congratulate those who already won something. May we have even more gold medals," music student Kurban told Reuters after he played Kazakhstan's national anthem on trumpet.
    Kazakhstan has a total of 115 athletes competing in the 2012 Olympics. They first brought a team of athletes to the Olympic Games in 1996.
    In 2008 the Kazkhstan national team brought home two gold medals, four silver medals and seven bronze medals.
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