The Asian Weightlifting Championships continued in Gandhinagar, India, with DPR Korea and China claiming the main titles across days four and five of competition. A total of five major records were set during these sessions, all coming on May 15.
DPR Korea’s Song Kuk Hyang produced one of the standout performances in the women’s 69 kg category. After finishing seventh in the snatch with 112 kg, she dominated the clean & jerk with 151 kg, setting new senior world and Asian records and winning gold with a total of 263 kg. Chinese Taipei’s Chen Wen-Huei took silver with 239 kg, while Japan’s Yuri Miyagoe finished third with 219 kg.
Song Kuk Hyang (DPR Korea)
In the men’s 88 kg, Ro Kwang Ryol gave DPR Korea another gold medal with a powerful total of 387 kg. After placing second in the snatch behind Uzbekistan’s Sarvarbek Zafarjonov, Ro lifted 220 kg in the clean & jerk to set new senior world and Asian records. His total of 387 kg also established a new Asian record. China’s Pan Yunhua took silver with 369 kg, just one kilogram ahead of Korea’s Lee Seongwon.
Zafarjonov delivered a strong result for Uzbekistan by winning the snatch with 169 kg, but finished fourth overall with 367 kg.
Ro Kwang Ryol (DPR Korea)
China took control on May 16, starting with Liao Guifang’s victory in the women’s 77 kg. Liao won gold with 265 kg, five kilograms ahead of DPR Korea’s Kim Kyong Ryong. India’s Sanjana gave the host nation another podium finish, taking bronze with 220 kg.
In the women’s 86 kg, China’s Peng Cuiting secured gold with 270 kg. Her 127 kg snatch gave her the advantage, while Bahrain’s Alina Marushchak finished second with 265 kg after the best clean & jerk of the category. Korea’s Jang Hyeonju completed the podium with 245 kg.
China also won the men’s 94 kg through Tu Yi, who finished first in both the snatch and clean & jerk to claim gold with 386 kg. Uzbekistan’s Mukhammadkodir Toshtemirov earned silver with 373 kg, while Turkmenistan’s Rustem Annaberdiyev took bronze with 354 kg.
Across the two days, the competition featured five major records: one senior world record and one Asian record by Song Kuk Hyang, plus one senior world record and two Asian records by Ro Kwang Ryol.
The championships will conclude with the final day of competition, which is expected to feature more high-level battles. Olympic champion Liu Huanhua (CHN) is set to compete in the men’s 110 kg category, while Iran’s Alireza Yousefi, the 2024 World Championships gold medalist, will headline the super heavyweight division.
