China’s Tian Tao has pulled away from worldwide weightlifting, however he is not carried out with the barbell simply but.
Final up to date on September 1st, 2024
Chinese language weightlifter Tian Tao retired after failing to qualify for the 2024 Olympics this spring — form of.
- Tian, who has competed for Group China for over a decade, has signaled his intent to compete within the Nationwide Video games of China in 2025.
Identified for having a few of the strongest legs on this planet of weightlifting, Tian regardless of his retreat from the worldwide stage is maintaining along with his power coaching.
Tian Tao 250KG/551LB Entrance Squat
“I really feel like I’m flying,” captioned Tian in an Aug. 31, 2024 Instagram submit. He was referring to his new weightlifting sneakers, however Tian’s barbell was flying too.
A 250-kilogram, or 551.1-pound entrance squat is one hell of a raise for any power athlete, energetic or in any other case:
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Group China’s weightlifters are famend for his or her leg power and impeccable method; Tian carried that banner all through his profession with a collection of really monstrous lifts.
- Tian was no slouch on the lifting platform, both. Past successful silver on the 2016 Olympics, he nonetheless holds the 96-kilogram clear & jerk world file at 231 kilograms, or 509.2 kilos.
- Tian set that file in 2019, the identical 12 months he gained his solely World Championships title.
Why Didn’t Tian Tao Go to the 2024 Olympics?
Taking part international locations had been afforded a most of six weightlifters for the summer season Video games in Paris.
China was the one taking part nation to discipline a full group of six weightlifters (5 of whom gained gold medals).
- Advantageous print: International locations might solely choose one athlete per weight class and as much as three per gender. Tian not solely needed to show he was a medal contender in his class of 89 kilograms; he needed to show a stronger relative efficiency than his teammates to nab considered one of Group China’s males’s slots.
Regardless of setting a brand new clear & jerk world file (which has since been overwritten through the Paris Video games), Tian, 30, was not in a position to rank excessive sufficient on the IWF’s leaderboard to benefit Olympic group choice.
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On the last-chance qualifier for Paris, the 2024 IWF World Cup in April, Tian “bombed out” within the clear & jerks, lacking all 3 makes an attempt.
Tian wanted to submit a robust Complete in Phuket, Thailand, the location of the Cup if he needed to persuade his group to decide on him over 89-kilogram teammate Li Dayin or one of many different Chinese language males. Dayin fared poorly as properly, regardless of being the world-number-one 89-kilogram athlete on the time.
- Gold-medal gamble: Group China, probably fearing one other bomb-out in Paris from “Coronary heart Assault” Tian as he’s affectionately identified to followers, chosen 73-kilogram two-time Olympic Champion Shi Zhiyong as an alternative.
- Zhiyong bombed out within the clear & jerks, making a gift of the gold medal to Indonesia.
Tian has not indicated any return to aggressive weightlifting past the ‘25 Nationwide Video games. In China, the Video games are regarded with related reverence to the Olympics and showcase all kinds of sports activities and athletic occasions, Olympic lifting included.
A 250-kilogram entrance squat from considered one of China’s hottest weightlifters ever signifies that Tian Tao could have a bit extra battle in him.
Extra Weightlifting Information
Featured Picture: @tiantao89kg1 / Instagram