Jang released without major injuries

Olympic gold medalist and four time world champ Jang Mi-ran was released from a hospital yesterday morning after being involved in a car accident on Saturday.
Jang's Volkswagen sedan was hit from behind by a sports utility vehicle at an intersection in Hwajeong-dong in Goyang, Gyeonggi at approximately 8 p.m. According to police, the accident was caused by slippery road conditions. Jang had stopped at a red light when a SUV rammed Jang's vehicle after skidding on the snow-covered road.

Jang was transported to a nearby hospital for a check-up. Although Jang did not sustain any major injuries from the accident, she was kept overnight for further observation and was released early yesterday.

The 26-year-old weightlifter has been dominant in the women's heavyweight division over the past few years.

Jang won her first World Championships in 2005.

She has won the annual event four consecutive times. Including the gold medal win at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Jang has won five consecutive world-class events. At the latest World Weightlifting Championships event at Kintex in Goyang, Jang cleared 187 kilograms in the clean and jerk competition, replacing her previous world record of 186 kilograms.

By Jason Kim [jason@joongang.co.kr]