Weightlifting - Muscles, mind games help in medal poker

By Sophie Hardach

BEIJING (Reuters) - Think of it as poker with bells on. Barbells, to be precise.

Watching Olympic weightlifters plot their winning strategy is a fascinating mix of muscles, maths and mental strength, and as thrilling as any card game.

But the stakes here are much higher, as the latest accident in competition shows: Hungarian Janos Baranyai trying to snatch 148kg on Wednesday until his arm gave way in a gruesome twist that dislocated his elbow.

Anyone who thinks weightlifting is all brawn, no brain, should see the manoeuvring that goes on before and during a competition.

The rules are simple -- three attempts in the snatch, three in the clean and jerk, and the highest results from each category produce the combined total. Contenders set their own entry weights.

Sounds easy? Well, look at Turkey's Nurcan Taylan, who competes in the 48kg bodyweight class. She won the gold medal in Athens and confidently set her entry weight at 84kg. Taylan failed to snatch that weight three times and was out before she even got to the clean and jerk.

Set your entry weight too low, however, and you might have wasted a lift that could have brought you closer to that elusive medal. After all, athletes did not train for this moment for four years just to take it easy on the mat.