Olympic champion lifter Chen Yanqing retired last year and vowed never to lift barbells any more.

In the Asian Games on Sunday, the 27-year-old Chen returned to the platform to break three world records as she won the women's 58kg division, saying that her love of the sport was too deep to quit.

Exactly one year ago, when Chinese weightlifting officials charged her with an East Asian Games duty in Macao, Chen said she was bored by repetitive pumping of barbells.

She reappeared in the national team in January and took a national title in April, underlining her status as the queen of the 58kg category.

"I am so sorry for my retirement announcement. My love for weightlifting is endless so I decided to come back," Chen said on Sunday.

In her first international action since the 2004 Olympics, Chen astonished Asia as she broke three world records to win the 58kg class gold medal with a total of 251kg.

"The Asian Games are the second largest sports meeting in the world. In my heart, the Olympics and the Asiad both are very important to me. I told myself to be brilliant in Doha, and I did it," she said.

"When I decided to quit last year, I didn't want to spend all my best years in an isolated training hall. I wanted to enjoy the best time in my life before 30," Chen explained why she chose to retire.

"Even in my retirement, I knew my love of weightlifting didn't end. I thought about my future over and over in winter and decided to come back.

"The gold medal in the Asiad is the best award for my decision.

"After all, the Beijing Olympic Games is an opportunity once for all, for which I am willing to give up my bloom years."

Chen began lifting at age of 11 but retired in 2001 to study in Suzhou University. But she returned to lifting and won a gold medal in the Athens Olympic Games.

Chen's coach Cao Xinmin once told Xinhua that Chen's short coaching experience had made her a better lifter.

"When she retired in 2001, she was invited to coach a provincial team. I think that experience helped her a lot when she was back to the platform. She is more disciplined than others," Cao said.

Editor: Donald