¡¡  ATHENS, Aug. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Heated contest is expected in the men's 69kg weightlifting Wednesday at the Athens Olympics Games, with the three place-getters at last year's World Championships gearing up for a strong performance.

    Zhang Guozheng of China was first at the World Championships inVancouver last year and he is the main contender in the disciplineas he holds the world record in clean and jerk (197.5kg).

    Bae Young Lee of South Korea came second and seems to be a threat to Zhang as he has a very high entry total (345kg). Turan Mirzayef of Azerbaijan finished third in Vancouver.

    On the women's side, a weightlifting medal in the 63kg class for the host nation is a prospect Wednesday, with Anastasia Tsakiri, winner of two golds and four silvers at world championships, bearing the hopes of the Greek fans.

    Her biggest rival is Nataliya Skakun of Ukraine, holder of the world mark in clean and jerk (138kg) and world champion last November in Vancouver.

    Hanna Batsiushka of Belarus is another strong competitor as sheholds the world record in snatch (113.5kg). Enditem