Zhou Lulu

Who is Zhou Lulu?

Zhou Lulu established herself as the strongest woman on the planet by lifting 333kg in the 75kg division. Zhou Lulu set a new world record, breaking her previous mark of 328kg at the 2012 London Olympics.

The athlete later said that the gold medal weighed more than the weights.

Nonetheless, it was a joyful occasion for her country, particularly for her family and community.

Zhou’s path from a little kid in a Chinese village to Olympic gold medallist was not easy, but it was certainly amazing.

She had set her sights on this gold medal ever since Tang Gonghong won gold in the 2004 Athens Olympics.

While most people connect weightlifting with male athletes, women like Zhou are continuously breaking the mold.

So, how did the outstanding athlete become interested in weightlifting?

How did she grow up, and how did she get into the Olympics?

This post will go into great detail regarding this talented woman’s journey.

But before, here are some fascinating facts:

More Facts about Zhou Lulu

Lulu Zhou’s Childhood and Family

Zhou was born in Xilugezhuang Village, Dayao Town, Muping District, Yantai City, China, in 1988.

Her dad, Zhou Weijan, and his wife are apple and cherry farmers.

They have never seen her play in person till the London Olympics.

Then, when someone covered their travel costs, they went abroad for the first time to see their daughter win gold.

Despite the fact that her parents are unfamiliar with the sport, they are quite proud of their daughter.

Although nothing is known about Zhou’s family, she does have a sibling and a grandma.

Similarly, Zhou began weightlifting at the age of 11.

Discovering Weightlifting

Zhou’s introduction to weightlifting has an intriguing backstory.

Coach Shi Du of the Muping District Sports School first noticed her in 1999.

Shi Du was looking for a weightlifting pupil but had had no luck so far.

Zhou had competed in a Shotput competition at a sports meet attended by Shi Du.

Shi Du made the same decision when he observed her height and strong build.

He enveloped her with his wings.

But, once again, he needed her family’s approval.

However, when she went to see her parents, they were not at home.

So he called his grandmother!

Despite not knowing what weight lighting is, she trusted the instructor and allowed her grandchild to play!

Zhou began her journey in this manner.

Never Say Die Attitude

Weightlifting is a demanding sport. A typical training day entails lifting hundreds of kg, which can be difficult for anyone.

Weightlifting was not popular among the students at the institution.

Managing academics and training can be taxing on children.

However, the shy Zhohu never complained and simply continued to train.

Zhou’s sister went to train with Zhohyu, but she quit quickly.

But it wasn’t always the same!

The training was extremely demanding and frequently exhausting.

Zhohy began to consider quitting along the road.

But then came the 2004 Athenes Olympics!

When Tang Gonghong won the gold medal with such ease and made China proud, Zohu couldn’t help but want it for herself.

And the fact that Tang was also from Shandong fueled her passion even more.

In this way, her attitude toward weightlifting completely transformed.

She began to enjoy it and was planning for the day when she would earn her own gold.

But it was not an easy path.

Lulu Zhou’s Career

She began her education at Yantai Sports School in her hometown, where she spent three years.

Lulu Zhou transferred to Yantai City Sports School in 2001, where she studied with Coach Xiandong.

She joined the Shandong Province Women’s Weightlifting Team in 2003, where Zhijun trained her.

Zhou rose to prominence in 2007 after demonstrating her ability on consecutive occasions.

First, she finished second in the national urban games.

She also took home the Asian Youth Championship.

She finished fourth in the national weightlifting championships in 2008.

In the 2009 national games, she smashed the national record by more than 3 kg and finished runner-up.

She achieved the world record for women’s weightlifting in the 75 kg category the same year, lifting 148 kg.

She earned two clean and jerk medals with a total score of 327 kg at the 2011 World Weightlifting Championships.

Lulu Zhou: Olympics

She won the 2012 national women’s weightlifting championships and Olympic trials with a grab of 145 kg, a clean and jerk of 183 kg, and a total score of 328 kg.

She beat Russia’s Tatiana Kashirina to gold in the 75 kg division at the London Olympics, setting a new world record.

Furthermore, it was the Chinese delegation’s 29th gold medal and the Chinese weightlifting team’s 5th gold medal in the Olympics.

She became a grand slam weightlifter with her victory, having won the Olympic Games, the World Championship, and the World Record.

Zhou established a new Asian record for snatch with 142 kg and a global record for clean and jerk with 192 kg at the 2014 Asian Games.

She comfortably won the gold medal with a total score of 334 kg.

Zhou has been retired since 2014 and rarely appears in public.

Body, Height, and Measurements

Zhou’s body is built for weightlifting since he is 1.75 meters tall and weighs 133 kg.

Her coach encouraged her to attempt weightlifting because she had a naturally large figure.

Her physique has grown progressively larger with the exclusive training.

Of course, a heavy physique can lift a lot of weight, but it can also cause little complications.

She needs to wear 5XL clothing, which might be tough to locate.

Zhou’s family has an apple orchard in their village.

She tried to help them in the orchard because she was a nice girl.

But her bulky physical world was simply unsuitable for a field job.

Similarly, she was too large for the orchard, causing fruits to fall and her worlds to step all over them.

Her family encouraged her not to go again after discovering it was causing more damage than good.

Zhou has a short hairstyle and wears glasses to compensate for his myopia.

Overall, she projected a tomboy image.

However, if we look closely, we can see that she has three small braids on the back of her head.

Her sister made it for her, and she considers it her “lucky braid.”

Lulu Zhou: Relationships

Her natal sign is A Pieces, and she considers herself to be a romantic at heart.

When the journalist asked her if she had a partner after the Olympics, she sheepishly nodded no.

However, the fact that Lulu has fans all across the world is no secret.

We don’t know if she is married or in a relationship because she has been out of the spotlight since 2014.

But we hope she is making the most of her retirement.

Also read: Jennifer Dempster, Sean Marks, Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Lulu Zhou: Social Media

Despite being one of the most powerful ladies, zhou is quiet and bashful.

That could be why she isn’t very active on social media.

Zhou has a Facebook page, but it was last updated in 2012.

If you want to learn more about her, conduct an internet search.