Jiangshan, Zhejiang Province—23-year-old Olympic champion Liu Huanhua ramped up the intensity at the Asian Weightlifting Championships, chasing double gold in the men’s 102kg division.
Snatch Drama: Liu kicked off with a confident 171kg and followed with 180kg. However, Turkmenistan’s snatch record holder Hasanbayev Davranbek stole the spotlight with a 182kg lift. A final 183kg attempt fell short, leaving Liu with silver in the snatch.
Clean & Jerk Redemption: Refusing to back down, Liu blasted 220kg and then 230kg. His bid at 234kg—a chance to top his own world record—didn’t connect, but the 230kg clinched gold in the clean and jerk and pushed his total to 410kg for a second gold.
“I performed well, but I expect more from myself,” Liu said. “Failing at 234kg was rough—I felt my waist separating from my body. Lifting 230kg on sheer willpower reminded me of my potential.”
Women’s 87kg Showdown: In the parallel women’s 87kg category, China’s Tian Dongping and Jiang Yujia dominated. Tian snatched 118kg to Jiang’s 113kg, then edged her in the clean and jerk with 141kg to 140kg. Tian’s 259kg total sealed a gold sweep.
With fresh rivalries ignited and records teased, this championship highlighted the drama behind each kilo on the bar—a reminder that in weightlifting, tiny margins can define legacies.
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Liu claims two men's 102kg golds at Asian Weightlifting Championships
cgtn.com
