Wang Mingjuan of China secured the first gold medal of the London Olympics weightlifting competition, winning the women's 48-kilogram title yesterday with a total weight of 205 kilograms.

The four-time world champion dominated the competition, snatching 91 kilograms and lifting 114 kilograms in the clean and jerk. Despite being a top level lifter for a decade, the 26-year-old had never competed in the Olympics due to injuries which ruled her out of Athens and Beijing.

Japan's Hiromi Miyake finished second and Ryang Chun Hwa of North Korea got the bronze.

Medal favorite Panida Khamsri of Thailand bombed out after three failed snatch attempts at 81 kilograms.

Miyake, whose father Yoshiyuki won a weightlifting bronze for Japan in the 1968 Olympics, trailed Wang by 4 kilograms in the snatch and fell further behind in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total of 197 kilograms.

The snatch is performed in one motion while the clean and jerk is a two-part lift where the competitor first raises the bar to shoulder level and the pushes it overhead.

Ryang was in sixth place after lifting only 80 kilograms in the snatch and was in danger of missing the medals after failing her first clean and jerk attempt. But the North Korean recovered and secured a spot on podium by with a powerful 112-kilogram clean and jerk in her final attempt.