Thai weightlifter Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon won her country's first gold medal at the Beijing Olympics on Sunday and she attributed her victory to changing her name before the Games.

Prapawadee Jaroenrattanatarakoon of Thailand takes a lift at the women's 53kg final of weightlifting at Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, Aug. 10, 2008. Prapawadee claimed title in this event and set a new Olympic record with 126 kilos in clean and jerk lift.

"The fortune teller told me, 'If you change your name you will win the gold',"Jaroenrattanatarakoon, who changed her name from Chanpim Kantatian last year for good luck, told reporters through an interpreter.

"Some people believe in fortunetellers and I am one of them, so I followed her advice," she added.

But the change did not work immediately as she failed all her three lifts in the clean and jerk at the 2007 world championships.

Jaroenrattanatarakoon said the failure in the world championships has no relation with her name, but the Beijing Olympics did.

"I had an injury at the world championships. After that, I focused on the clean and jerk. I practised hard in my training camp and my goal for the Olympics is the gold medal," said Jaroenrattanatarakoon.

The 24-year-old claimed the gold medal in the women's 53kg class, defeating South Korean Yoon Jin-Hee and Nastassia Novikava of Belarus.

Jaroenrattanatarakoon pumped her fists in delight after heaving 126kg in the clean and jerk, which is a new Olympic record, and went for gold medal with an attempt on 130kg but failed.

"I don't care that I failed to break the world record, anything could happen during the competition," said Jaroenrattanatarakoon. "I just want to win a medal, no matter gold, silver or bronze."

Jaroenrattanatarakoon put the palms together, a traditional gesture of greeting in Thailand, to the cheering spectators and beamed at the medal awarding ceremony.

"I will go back home after the Olympics," said Prapawadee, "You know, I have prepared for the Olympics for three years and never went back home."

China did not compete in the class under a rule that restricts each NOC's competitors to a maximum of four in women's event.

"I was lucky the Chinese did not enter a lifter in the 53kg," said Jaroenrattanatarakoon, "If China had taken part, I would have had to be more careful."

"August 12 is Mother's Day in Thailand, I will say 'Happy Mother's Day' to my mom, and 'Happy Mother's Day' to all the mothers in the world," she added.

(Xinhua News Agency August 10, 2008)