Hangzhou, China, October 2, 2023: DPR Korea’s Kim Il Gyong set a new world record in the snatch in the women’s 59kg weightlifting on Monday on her way to claiming Asian Games gold ahead of China’s world champion Luo Shifang and Olympic champion Kuo Hsing-chun from Chinese Taipei.
The 20-year-old Kim lifted 111kgs in the third round of the snatch phase at Xiaoshan Sports Centre Gymnasium to establish her superiority over the rest of the field before raising 135kgs above her head in the clean and jerk to win with a total of 246kgs.
The total was only 1kg short of the world record mark set by Kuo to claim the Asian title in Tashkent in 2021, as Kim won by 6kg from Luo (240kg). Kuo, the Olympic champion in Tokyo, took bronze a further 13kgs adrift with 227kg.
“Like athletes from other National Olympic Committees we train in great venues,” Kim said of DPR Korea’s success in the weightlifting, where the country has already won three gold medals in the women’s events. “We are devoted and very committed to our preparation.
“When I watched other athletes being able to win the gold medal, seeing our flag raised and hearing the anthem played, that’s what I envied. That is why I wanted to be a weightlifter.”
After a steady start, the competition came to life when Kim entered with an Asian Games record-breaking lift of 103kgs in the snatch, only to see it bettered by 1kg when Luo came on to the stage.
The DPR Korea athlete extended the Asian Games mark by 3kg on her next lift, with Luo matching her again before Kim broke the world record in her final attempt as she drove through the final phase of her lift to push 111kgs over her head.
The battle continued in the clean and jerk phase with Kim starting with a 127kgs as she and Luo traded attempts. Kim’s final lift of 135kgs left her Chinese competitor needing to raise 140kgs and her failure handed the DPR Korean the gold.
“I feel truly delighted seeing the youngsters chasing and surpassing me,” bronze medallist Kuo said after Kim broke her world record in the snatch. “I hope to have the opportunity to compete with them again and do my best.”
The event also saw the Philippines’ Hidilyn Diaz, the reigning Olympic champion in the women’s 55kg category and gold medal winner at 53kgs in Jakarta in 2018, moving up to the new weight class to finish fourth with a combined total of 223kgs.
“I’m happy to be representing our country,” said Diaz. “I'm pushing myself to the limit for this. I am now confident with my mental strength and this competition gives me confidence for Paris 2024.”
(Michael Church)
