By Julian Linden, OCA Media
Nagoya, Japan, September 27, 2026: There’s just no stopping the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and their formidable record-breaking female weightlifters at the Asian Games.
Song Kuk-hyang provided her country with another gold medal at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center on Sunday with a resounding victory in the women’s 69 kilogram division.
Song’s win was the fourth gold for DPR Korean lifters from the five lightest categories at the Asian Games and, like some of her compatriots, the icing on the cake for her performance was it came with three world records.
In a powerful display that none of her rivals in the light heavyweight division could match, Song set new world records for snatch (121kg), clean and jerk (152kg) and total (273kg).
“The world record was what I tried to achieve here in Japan, I really wanted to make my country proud,” said Song, who won her first Asian Games gold in the idle heavyweight category four years ago.
“The moment I knew that I was lifting the heaviest weight, I felt empowered. The support of my compatriots helped a lot. It is a tradition of victory, that is all.”
Chen Wen-huei from Chinese Taipei won the silver medal with a combined lift of 232 kg, 41kg less than Song.
The youngest competitor in the final, 20-year-old Ingrid Gruesson, successfully hoisted 128kg with her second lift in clean and jerk to win bronze for Bahrain.
“I am super proud of myself, despite all the complications I had over the years,” she said.
“This is the first competition of the year for me. I had two operations and I came here giving the best of myself. I have to keep working to prepare for the next competitions in the best way possible.
“I had an injury in my hand.This was not my best lift at all, but it is okay. I feel like I am on the right path.”