Just like the famed Polish strongman, Stanislaus Zbyszko, Majewski played to the packed crowd at the Olympic Stadium when he improved his margin of victory to 3 centimeters with his last attempt.
The 22-year-old Storl earned the silver medal with a toss of 21.86 and Reese Hoffa won the bronze at 21.23 for the United States. The Polish giant is the first man to win the event twice since American Parry O’Brien in 1952 and 1956. He hugged his rivals warmly before running across the track to get a Polish flag.
The 2008 silver medalist Christian Cantell finished fourth and another youngster of the group, Ryan Whiting, 25, was ninth.
Adrian Zielinski collected Poland’s first gold medal of the London Olympics and its first in weightlifting in 40 years.
Zielinski’s total weight of 385 kilograms on Friday equaled the result of Russia’s Apti Aukhadov in the 85-kilogram category, but the Pole won the gold by virtue of lower body weight. World champion Kianoush Rostami of Iran got the bronze.
Poland had not won an Olympic gold medal in weightlifting since Zygmunt Smalcerz’s flyweight triumph in 1972.
“We’ve been waiting for 40 years. I’m very pleased and happy,” said Zielinski, who was world champion in 2010 but lost that title to Rostami last year.
Dozens of Polish fans in the ExCel chimed in as Zielinski bellowed out the national anthem at the medal ceremony. But they were soon overtaken by an even louder contingent of Iranian fans waving flans and shouting long after the medalists had left the stage.
Defending Olympic champion Lu Yong of China finished first in the snatch portion but bombed out with three failed attempts in the clean and jerk.
CNBC’s Olympic television coverage during the past week has showcased the failure of USA Boxing. It appears that at least three American boxers were robbed of wins during their prelim matches. (one result was overturned)
Raymond Rolak and Jacek Adamski, Rolco Sports Network