VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- China's Liu Chunhong eclipsed her own world record at the World Weightlifting Championships on Wednesday, beating the previous mark on two lifts, including snatching 264 pounds on her third attempt.

The 18-year-old Liu beat her previous mark of 258.5 pounds set earlier this year, lifting 259.6 pounds on her second try and two minutes later breaking that mark.

With her third effort in the clean and jerk, the 2002 junior world champion lifted a record 330 pounds for a record 594-pound total.

Danica Rue helped the U.S. women's weightlifting team's chances of qualifying for the 2004 Olympics.

The 21-year-old Rue, a late substitution, made a strong showing in the 151.8-pound B group, supplying much-needed points for an American team still trying to qualify for the Athens Games.

Rue earned eight or nine points, but her final standing won't be determined until after the A group competes later Wednesday.

The U.S. team, tied with Venezuela for 16th place entering Rue's event, must finish 17th in the worlds to send a two-person team to Athens.

The final team standings won't be known until after the last of two remaining weight classes Friday night.

U.S. women's coach Michael Cohen called Rue's contribution "gargantuan."

"For teams on the bubble, and there are a lot of us, eight or nine points are critical," Cohen said.

Rue was added to the team in place of 127.6-pound lifter Carrie Boudreau.

"When we saw the list ... we knew Carrie couldn't get us any points," Cohen said. "It's just too deep. Danica has been lifting well this year, and we thought we could sneak a few points. Nine is tremendous."

Boudreau, who had never been to the world championships, traveled with the team, trained with them and cheered them on before returning home Monday.

"I'm almost 37, and I know I probably won't get another chance. But at least I got to see it," Boudreau said in a telephone interview from her home in Savannah, Ga.

The U.S. team's chances of qualifying are in doubt because Cheryl Haworth, a strong medal candidate in super heavyweight, injured her elbow pursuing a third world junior title in June. Medals bring 20 to 25 points.

In the men's division, four Greeks expected to win medals in the heavyweight division will not compete.

Pyrros Dimas and Akakios Kakhiasvilis, didn't make the trip, and Leonidas Sabanis and George Tzelilis were sent home Friday, the opening day of the championships.

George Narkoulias and Christina Iwannidov stayed home as well.

Coach Christos Lakwrov said all six were experiencing back pain, and letting them compete ``was too risky.''

Countries must qualify for the 2004 Olympics at the world championships, but Greece, as the host nation, does not.

Georgi Gardev's knee buckled on his third snatch attempt at 187 pounds, and the Bulgarian was taken to the hospital with the seventh major injury in six days of competition.

The extent of Gardev's injury was not immediately known.

Valeriu Calancea used a daring final lift to win the gold medal in the 187-pound category.

Calancea, from Romania, was eighth after the snatch and needed a personal best of 473 pounds on the final lift to edge China's Aijun Yuan. Calancea had never finished higher than fourth in previous world championships.

Aijun's last lift, a 467.5-pound clean and jerk, was also a personal best.

Sergo Chakohyn brought Australia its first medals, winning gold in the snatch, bronze in clean and jerk, and the overall bronze. Chakohyn, a silver medalist at the 1994 world championships, was suspended for two years after a positive steroid test at the 2001 Goodwill Games.

Erdal Sunar, from Turkey, was second and Aliaksandr Anishchenka, from Belarus, was third.