ATHENS -- Maryse Turcotte's best was nowhere near good enough for Olympic glory yesterday.
Despite setting a personal record, the 28-year-old weightlifter went from fourth in Sydney to 11th yesterday in a sport many figure is losing the war against drug cheats.
"It's my best total in international competition and to do it at the Olympics, I'm really, really proud," said the soft-spoken resident of Brossard, Que., who lifted 90 kg in snatch and 120 (double her weight) in the clean and jerk for a 210 total.
China's Yanqing Chen and Song Hui Ri of Japan and won gold and silver respectively in the 58-kg class with scores of 237.5 (Olympic record) and 232.5. Poland's Aleksandra Klejnowska, who just finished serving a two-year suspension for steroid use, finished fifth.
"For sure there have been some positive tests since I got into the sport, so it's hard to have total confidence in everybody," said Turcotte, whose future in the sport will be dictated by the fate of her medical school application.
"But I still have confidence in women's weightlifting and I know the positive tests always come from the same countries -- the places that push their athletes to the maximum. When I see somebody lift 130 and they have bad technique, I ask questions. But when the athlete has a perfect technique and body, I don't worry. There's nothing I can do about what the others lift."