North Korea weightlifter sets three world records for Asian Games gold
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North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum hauled 94kg above her head in the opening snatch discipline, 1kg more than the previous world standard mark of 93kg.
PHOTO: EPA
- North Korea's Ri Song Gum won the first gold for her country at the Asian Games by setting three world records in the women's 49kg weightlifting category.
- Ri lifted 94kg in snatch, broke the clean and jerk record twice with 116kg and 121kg, and set a total world record of 215kg.
- She became the first woman and fourth lifter overall to win three Asian Games weightlifting golds, joining an elite group of male lifters.
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NAGOYA, Japan – North Korea’s Ri Song Gum gave her country their first gold of the Asian Games in style on Sept 23, setting three world records in the women’s 49kg class in Nagoya.
The pocket powerhouse, who stands at a mere 140cm, joined an elite club of just four weightlifters who have won three Asian Games golds.
The 28-year-old Ri was emotional as her country’s anthem was played at the medal ceremony.
Alongside her was the silver medallist from India, Mirabai Chanu, and bronze medallist from Indonesia, Diana Tri Wijayana.
Ri’s achievement was cheered to the rafters in a lively atmosphere at the Nagoya Trade and Industry Center hall, made all the more raucous by a large number of Japanese North Korean fans waving flags.
The reigning two-time world champion added to her Asian Games golds in Jakarta in 2018 in the 48kg class and Hangzhou in 2023 at 49kg.
Ri hauled 94kg above her head in the opening snatch discipline, 1kg more than the previous world standard mark of 93kg.
She then smashed the clean and jerk world mark of 115kg twice by hoisting 116kg and then 121kg.
Her total of 215kg obliterated the old world mark by 7kg.
“The reason I got this gold is for the feelings of my home country; the people had huge expectations for me,” Ri told reporters.
“I wanted to lift my country up on these two small shoulders.”
The International Weightlifting Federation governing body introduced new weight classes from Aug 1 and reset all its world records leading up to the next Olympics.
Athletes who beat the newly introduced world standard mark are deemed to have set a new world record.
Ri has never competed at the Olympics. North Korea were absent from Tokyo in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic and the country did not qualify in weightlifting for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
There will be no 49kg class at the next Olympics in Los Angeles because the competition has been slimmed down to six men’s and six women’s divisions.
When Ri was asked if she would consider moving up to 53kg, the lowest women’s category to chase an Olympic gold, she replied “Yes”.
Chanu on podium at last
India’s Chanu, the silver medallist at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, finally won an Asian Games medal at the third time of asking.
She had a total of 198kg after a snatch of 87kg and clean and jerk of 111kg while Indonesia’s Diana Tri Wijayana took bronze on 191kg, with 88kg and 103kg, respectively.
A veteran now, the 2017 world champion Chanu is enjoying one of her best years.
The 32-year-old won gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July but said she had fulfilled “a dream” by standing on an Asian Games podium for the first time.
“I feel very good, very happy,” Chanu told AFP news agency. “This is my dream, to win an Asian Games medal.”
She added: “I had the belief in me that I would be able to win. There were expectations, people who believed in me – my coaches, my support staff and I made sure to win a medal for my country.”
Ri became only the fourth lifter, and first woman, to win three Asian Games weightlifting golds.
She joined Iran’s Mohammad Nassiri (1966-74), South Korea’s Kim Tae-hyun (1990-98) and Iran’s Behdad Salimi (2010-2018), who all won three golds. No one has ever won four. AFP