Chinese ant man

AFTER Chinese weightlifter Long Qingquan broke an Olympic record of 170kg – raising more than three times his own bodyweight above his head – to clinch gold in the men’s 56kg, he was asked by a reporter if he considered himself to be the strongest man alive.

The 1.5m athlete thought about this for a minute and then channelled his inner Confucius, replying philosophically: “For human beings yes I believe so, but in the animal kingdom I don’t think so because as you know ants can lift much heavier weights than their own weight.”