By all measures, weightlifter Jang Mi-ran had a disappointing year in 2011. Battling nagging injuries and struggling to remain in form, she missed the world championships for the first time in six years. While she was sidelined, younger lifters stepped up and set world records in her over-75-kilogram division.
Looking back, the 28-year-old lifter said Thursday she will try to take some positives from last year and win her second Olympic gold medal.
“Obviously, I don’t have fond memories of last year,” Jang said in a press conference. “But through those difficult times, I was able to discover things that I had to do to overcome myself.”
Jang Mi-ran speaks during a press conference in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap News)
Jang is one of the most decorated female weightlifters in history.
She won the gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and also has four world titles and one Asian Games gold medal to her credit.
Winning titles at the Olympics, the Asian Games and the world championships is considered a weightlifting equivalent of a “grand slam.”
Despite such an extraordinary resume, Jang said she isn’t taking anything for granted in her buildup to London.
“I’ve become more careful, meticulous and specific in my preparations,” Jang said. “Before, I think I might have trusted myself a bit too much.”
Jang said her conditioning is improving under a new training regimen, adding, “I think I can accomplish my dream if I can stick to the program.”
(Yonhap News)
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