The Chinese weightlifting team decided to replace lifter Hou Zhihui of 48kg division by Meng Suping of over-75kg division as Hou suffered a knee injury before the Rio Olympic Games.

Wang Guoxin, the head coach of the women's team told Xinnhua on Monday that the 19-year-old Hou injured her right knee during a training session in Beijing in July and has not recovered since she arrived in China's training camp in San Paulo, Brazil's biggest city.

"Our team has decided to compete in the women's over-75kg division instead of 48kg division, and Meng Supiing is the best choice," Wang said.

Meng, the silver medalist in the world championships in 2015, will leave on Wednesday from Beijing to join the Chinese team in San Paulo.

The 27-year-old Meng's arch rival Tatiana Kashirina of Russia, the world record holder of the over-75kg division, would be absent from the Rio Olympics because the whole Russian national weightlifting team was banned by the sport's governing federation IWF.

"Yes, Kashirina's absence did give us a big opportunity to win in this division, because only Meng and Kashirina has the ability to lift over 300kg in total in the world," added Wang. Endit

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