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Not this time

Pocket Hercules fails in bid for fourth gold

Naim Suleymanoglu retired after winning his third gold medal in 1996, but came out of retirement to pursue an fourth gold medal. Jed Jacobsohn/Allsport

SYDNEY, Australia (CNNSI.com) -- Naim Suleymanoglu, known as the Pocket Hercules and the most successful weightlifter in history, failed to win a fourth successful Olympic gold medal.

Suleymanoglu's failure at 135 1/2 pounds (62 kg) following three years of retirement was as big as his successes at the 1988, 1992 and 1996 Games. He missed all three attempts at 319 1/2 pounds in the snatch and thus did not move on to the clean and jerk.

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Suleymanoglu had promised another gold medal to the Turkish people, to whom he is an unequaled national hero. He owns 22 houses, most given to him by the government following his 1986 defection from Bulgaria.

Suleymanoglu, 33, retired after winning his third gold medal in Atlanta, then decided to come out of retirement nine months ago to pursue an unequaled fourth gold medal.

He didn't really even come close, missing badly on his first two attempts. He raised the bar to about eye level in his third lift, but couldn't make the final thrust needed to complete the lift and dropped the bar to the mat on what almost certainly was his final Olympic lift ever.

Suleymanoglu's first Olympic loss caused an audible gasp in the Sydney Convention Centre, which was nearly filled with flag-waving Turks certain he was about to make Olympic history.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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