North Korean Weightlifter Ri Song-gum Sets Three World Records for Asian Games Gold
North Korean weightlifter Ri Song-gum produced one of the standout performances of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Wednesday, winning gold in the women's 49-kilogram category while setting three new world records in the process.
The victory in Nagoya gave North Korea its first gold medal of the Games and extended Ri's remarkable record at the Asian Games. The 28-year-old has now won the women's lightest weightlifting category at three consecutive editions of the competition.
Ri's performance was particularly impressive because she broke the world standards in all three recognised parts of the competition. She lifted 94 kilograms in the snatch before producing a 121-kilogram clean and jerk. Her combined total of 215 kilograms completed the record-breaking performance.
Three World Records in One Competition
Ri opened the competition with a 94-kilogram snatch, surpassing the newly established world standard of 93 kilograms. The snatch requires competitors to lift the barbell from the floor and take it directly above their head in one continuous movement.
She then turned to the clean and jerk, where she again rewrote the record book. Ri successfully lifted 116 kilograms before attempting 121 kilograms, with the second successful lift establishing another world record.
Her final combined total of 215 kilograms was also seven kilograms above the previous world standard. The three records gave Ri a dominant victory over the rest of the field and underlined the scale of her performance.
The records need to be considered in the context of changes made by the International Weightlifting Federation. The governing body introduced revised weight categories on August 1 and established new world standards for the reorganised divisions. As a result, athletes exceeding those standards are recognised as setting new world records.
Third Consecutive Asian Games Gold
Ri's victory continued a sequence that began at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta. She won the women's 48-kilogram division at that competition before successfully defending her title at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, where the category was 49 kilograms.
Her third consecutive Asian Games gold medal places her among a small group of weightlifters to have achieved the feat. She became the fourth weightlifter and the first woman to win three Asian Games gold medals in the sport.
The previous weightlifters to win three Asian Games titles were Iran's Mohammad Nassiri, South Korea's Kim Tae-hyun and Iran's Behdad Salimi. No weightlifter has yet won four Asian Games gold medals.
Ri's achievement therefore represents more than a single successful competition. It places her among the most successful weightlifters in Asian Games history while extending a winning run that now covers three editions of the event.
Emotional Moment on the Podium
Ri became emotional during the medal ceremony as the North Korean national anthem was played and her country's flag was raised. Her victory was also warmly received inside the venue, where supporters waved North Korean flags.
Speaking after the competition, Ri said the expectations of people in her home country had provided additional motivation. She described the gold medal as something she wanted to achieve for her country.
The result gave North Korea its first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. The country had already collected a bronze medal in soft tennis, but Ri's victory was the first time a North Korean athlete had reached the top of the podium at the Games.
Mirabai Chanu Takes Silver
India's Mirabai Chanu finished second to claim the silver medal with a combined lift of 198 kilograms. Chanu lifted 87 kilograms in the snatch and followed it with a 111-kilogram clean and jerk.
The medal was particularly significant for Chanu because it was her first Asian Games medal. The Indian weightlifter had previously competed at the Asian Games without reaching the podium, despite having established herself as one of the leading competitors in the sport.
Chanu is also an Olympic silver medallist, having finished second at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. She has won multiple international titles and remains one of India's most recognised weightlifters.
Indonesia's Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana won the bronze medal with a total of 191 kilograms. She lifted 88 kilograms in the snatch and 103 kilograms in the clean and jerk.
Ri's Olympic Challenge
Despite her success at the Asian Games and World Championships, Ri has never competed at the Olympic Games. North Korea did not participate in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and did not qualify in weightlifting for the Paris Games in 2024.
Her current weight category also presents a future challenge. The 49-kilogram women's division will not be included in the weightlifting programme at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after the Olympic competition was reduced to six men's and six women's categories.
Ri was asked whether she would consider moving up to the 53-kilogram category, which is expected to be the lightest women's weight class available at the next Olympics. She indicated that she would consider making the move.
A Major Achievement for North Korean Weightlifting
Ri's performance in Nagoya provides another example of North Korea's strength in international weightlifting. Her three Asian Games titles and two world championship victories have established her as a leading competitor in the lighter women's categories.
The victory also provided North Korea with an important early success at the Aichi-Nagoya Games. Winning its first gold medal through a record-breaking performance gave the country's delegation a significant result in one of the opening days of competition.
For Ri herself, the victory combined several milestones. She won her third consecutive Asian Games title, set new world records in the snatch, clean and jerk and total, and became the first woman to join the small group of three-time Asian Games weightlifting champions.
Her next major challenge will depend partly on whether she moves into a new weight category as she attempts to pursue Olympic qualification. For now, however, Ri Song-gum leaves Nagoya with another Asian Games gold medal and three new world records attached to her name.
Source: Japan Today
