Published: August 13, 2008 01:34 pm      

Konawa native competes in Olympic games

Beijing — Konawa native and 2008 Olympics contender Chad Vaughn competed in the Men’s 77kg (170 lbs) Wednesday in Beijing, but did not receive a finishing score. Vaughn lifted 147kg on the snatch, but did not make a qualifying lift on three attempts for the clean & jerk.

Broken down by lift, Vaughn did not make a clean lift on his first attempt of 144kg on the snatch. He successfully lifted 144kg on his second attempt, and 147kg on his third and final attempt.

On the clean & jerk, Vaughn did not make his first two lifts of 182kg, and also did not make his third and final lift of 183kg. Without a total from the clean & jerk to combine with his snatch score, Vaughn received a DNF.

“I don’t know what happened, I can’t explain it,” said Vaughn’s mother Gay. “I mean, it’s very unusual for him; something was going on, but I don’t know what it was.”

Vaughn is a five-time national champion, four times at 77kg and once at 85kg. On May 11, 2005, he celebrated his 25th birthday and Mother’s Day in perfect lifting style, winning the 85kg national championship with a total of 335kg lifted. Vaughn also recently set the national record at 77kg in the clean & jerk at the 2007 Arnold Classic, with a lift of 190kg. Oscar Chaplin III holds the records in the weight division in the snatch (157.5kg) and total (342.5kg).

The gold medal for the event went to both the South Korean and Chinese contenders, who tied with a final score of 366kg. South Korea’s Jaehyouk Sa lifted 163kg on the snatch and 203kg on the clean & jerk, while China’s Hongli Li made a 168kg snatch and a 198kg clean & jerk. Nigeria’s Felix Ekpo finished behind them a 143kg snatch and a 182kg clean & jerk, for a total of 325kg.

A televised showing of the event is expected to play today on MSNBC between the hours of 4 a.m. and 4 p.m.