A women's weightlifter for Macau, China, born in Macau in 1984 and competing mainly in the 69 kg class. She won gold at the 2009 Asian Championships and the 2009 Hong Kong East Asian Games, and took bronze in the 69 kg class at the 2009 World Weightlifting Championships — a rare World-Championship medal for Macau weightlifting.
In a sport that rarely brings the small city a world-class medal, Zhang Shaoling lifted Macau onto the World Championship podium.
Zhang Shaoling is a women's weightlifter for Macau, China, born in Macau in 1984 and competing mainly in the 69 kg class. 2009 was her peak year: gold at the Asian Championships, gold at the Hong Kong East Asian Games, and bronze in the 69 kg class at the World Weightlifting Championships.
Profile
- Chinese Name: 張少玲
- English Name: Zhang Shaoling
- Born: 1984 (Macau)
- Represents: Macau, China
- Domain: Sport
- Discipline: Weightlifting (women's 69 kg / 75 kg)
- Subject type: Athlete
Background
Zhang Shaoling was born in 1984 in Portuguese-era Macau and is one of the few athletes to win Macau an international medal in an Olympic discipline — weightlifting. In a Macau sporting landscape dominated by wushu, her results widened the city's competitive map. Little is documented publicly about her early training and beginnings in the sport.
Career
I. The peak year, 2009
2009 was Zhang's most concentrated season. She won gold in the women's 69 kg at the Asian Weightlifting Championships with a 241 kg total; took 69 kg gold again at the Hong Kong East Asian Games that December; and won bronze in the women's 69 kg at the World Weightlifting Championships with 112 kg snatch, 136 kg clean & jerk, for a 248 kg total.
II. From 69 kg to 75 kg
At the 2010 World Championships she placed fourth in the women's 69 kg with a 243 kg total. In 2011 she won the 69 kg Asian title again (228 kg total) and stepped up to the 75 kg class at that year's World Championships. Her personal bests are a 112 kg snatch and a 137 kg clean & jerk.
Defining Moment
A World Championship bronze (2009)
In the women's 69 kg at the 2009 World Weightlifting Championships, Zhang Shaoling stood on the podium with a 248 kg total to take bronze. In a sport that rarely delivers world-level honours for Macau, the medal was a rare achievement — placing "Macau" among the world's top three in an Olympic discipline.