CHIANG MAI, Thailand, Sept. 25 (Xinhua) -- Cao Lei of China claimed her second consecutive world title in the women's 75kg division after defeating two Russian lifters at the world weightlifting championships here on Tuesday.

Cao, 24, combined lifts of 128kg in the snatch with 158kg in the clean and jerk to finish with 286kg, equivalent to the total she lifted at last year's world championships and the world record.

Natalia Zabolotnaya of Russia, silver medallist at the worlds in 2005, broke her own world record in the snatch when she lifted 131kg in her third attempt.

Cao hoisted 158kg in the jerk but failed to break the world record when attempting to lift 160kg. The world record in the jerk was set by Cao's compatriot Liu Chunhong at 159kg in 2005.

Zabolotnaya, 22, took silver on 281kg and her compatriot Nadezda Evstyukhina had bronze on 278kg.