Maiya Maneza

Maiya Maneza

File:Stamps of Kazakhstan, 2013-07.jpg
Personal information
Birth name	Майя Манеза
Born	1 November 1985 (1985-11) (age 38) Tokmok, Kyrgyz SSR, Soviet Union
Height
Weight	63 kg (139 lb)
Sport
Sport	Weightlifting
Event(s)	63 kg
Medal record Representing Kazakhstan Olympic Games 2012 London – 63 kg Asian Games 2010 Guangzhou – 63 kg World Weightlifting Championships 2009 Goyang – 63 kg 2010 Antalya – 63 kg 2011 Paris – 63 kg
Updated on 25 July 2012.

Maiya Maneza (born 1 November 1985) is a Kazakh weightlifter. She won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in the 63 kg category by lifting a combined weight of 245 kg and set a new Olympic record in the process.

Maiya is a member of the ethnic Dungan minority. Born in Kyrgyzstan, she moved to Kazakhstan in 2007 and competes for Kazakhstan. Following her Olympic medal win the government Xinhua news agency claimed that Maiya and fellow weightlifter Zulfiya Chinshanlo should be regarded as Chinese. The government of Kazakhstan rejected this claim and accused China of "poor sportsmanship".