WEIGHTLIFTING – The North Korean dominance in the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Championships 2024 continued last night with two more of their lifters securing world titles.
Kim Il Gyong and Ri Ryong Hyong captured five gold medals between them yesterday – while also setting new world records – on the fourth day of exciting competition at the event’s special venue set up across Bahrain National Theatre in Manama.
Kim completed a sweep of the three gold medals – including snatch, clean and jerk, and total – in the women’s 59kg A category, while Ri won the clean and jerk and total gold medals in the men’s 73kg A group.
Their totals earned them their tags as world champions, joining North Korean teammates Ri Won Ju (men’s 67kg A), Kang Hyon Gyong (women’s 55kg A), Ri Song Gum (women’s 49kg A) and Pak Myong Jin (men’s 61kg A).
North Korea have now crowned six of the eight world champions that have so far emerged in Bahrain. Zhao Jinhong (women’s 45kg A) of China and Natthawat Chomchuen (men’s 55kg A) of Thailand took the other two categories.
This year’s worlds are being held under the patronage of His Majesty King Hamad’s representative for humanitarian work and youth affairs and Supreme Council for Youth and Sport chairman Shaikh Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa.
It features nearly 500 of the world’s best lifters, both men and women, flying the flags of more than 90 countries from around the world.
Competition continues today at the same venue with six more classes. Headlining the action will be the men’s 81kg A class from 5.30pm, followed by the women’s 64kg A division at 8pm.
Prior to that, at 8am, the women’s 64kg D category will begin their competition, and then the women’s 64kg C class will compete from 10am. The men’s 81kg B lifters will then battle from 12.30pm, and then the women’s 64kg B lifters will vie for glory from 3pm.
In last night’s women’s 59kg A contest, Kim was on a level of her own, winning her world title while setting two new world records with a staggering 12kg gap from her closest challenger on totals.
She first secured the snatch gold medal with a 108kg lift, beating out China’s Pei Xinyi by one kg. Kim then took the clean and jerk gold with a mammoth 141kg effort, securing her total at 249kg.
Kim’s clean and jerk was a new world record, beating the previous mark of 140kg held by Kuo Hsing-Chun of Chinese Taiepi, while her total was also a new world best, surpassing the 248kg record of China’s Luo Shifang.
Taking bronze in the snatch yesterday was Lucrezia Magistris of Italy with a 99kg lift. Pei was also the silver-medallist in the clean and jerk but was 11kg behind Kim’s mark at 130kg, while Colombia’s Yenny Fernanda Alvarez Caicedo took bronze for clean and jerk (126kg) and total (224kg).
In the men’s 73kg A division, Ri won the gold medals for clean and jerk and total but missed out on the podium for snatch.
He started things off with a snatch best of 152kg, which placed him fifth, but his 197kg lift in the clean and jerk earned him gold, while also securing the total gold at 349kg.
Taking silver on totals was Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia, who became one of the first competitors from a weight class’ B group to step onto the podium in Bahrain. He had a mark of 340kg. Zhong Zhiguang of China came away with the bronze with a 336kg total.
Clinching gold in the snatch was Colombian Luis Javier Lagarejo Mosquera with a 155kg effort. Mosquera was also from the B division. Bunyad Rashidov of Turkmenistan won silver with a 154kg lift, while Roberto Gutu of Germany took bronze, also at 154kg.
In the clean and jerk, finishing behind Ri was Sangyeon Lee of South Korea, whose 191kg lift earned him the silver medal. Bronze went to Juniansyah with a 190kg effort.
patrick@gdnmedia.bh
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