He was roared on by hundreds of noisy Colombian supporters who cheered his every attempt, as well as the failures of his main rivals. "It's 22 years since I started and now is the time to retire, which is why I removed my shoes," he told reporters. "But I am full of emotion - it's as though I was lifting for the whole country, and those tears were for all of Colombia. Figueroa's meditation clearly helped because while his supporters were in a frenzy and his rivals fell away, he remained a picture of calmness. There was an especially loud cheer when the favourite, China's Chen Lijun, withdrew with leg cramps after two failed 143kg lifts in the snatch.

Source: Otago Daily Times August 09, 2016 03:56 UTC