Tunisia weightlifter blames early exit on bad math

LONDON: Tunisia may have missed out on its first medal at the London Olympics because of bad math.

Weightlifter Khalil El Maoui was in second place of the men’s 56-kilogram competition after the snatch on Sunday but never showed up on the platform for the second lift, the clean and jerk.

He blamed his coach afterward for submitting an entry weight that was 10 kilograms too high.

“It was a mistake,” El Maoui said. “I should have started lifting at 148 kilograms but my coach entered 158 kilograms by mistake.”

North Korea’s Om Yun Chol won the event after lifting 168 kilograms in the clean and jerk, a new Olympic record.