Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, the Chinese mainland – The 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships culminated this Thursday in a stunning showcase of strength as host athletes from the Chinese mainland seized 31 gold medals, along with 15 silver and 11 bronze, to dominate the medal table.
On the final day, world champion Li Yan delivered a masterclass in the women’s +87kg category. Facing fierce competition from Paris Olympic silver medalist Park Hye-jeong of South Korea, Li remained unshakable: "The results might seem close on paper, but I knew I had the edge."
Li set the pace in the snatch with a 135kg opener, then elevated her lead with a 140kg lift—15kg ahead of Park, who lifted 125kg. South Korea’s Son Young-hee claimed snatch bronze at 121kg.
In clean and jerk, Li pushed 162kg and 170kg before opting out of a third attempt. Her total of 310kg sealed gold in snatch, clean and jerk, and overall. Park finished second with 285kg in total and added a bronze in clean and jerk (160kg), while Son secured silver in clean and jerk (161kg) and total bronze (282kg).
The men’s +109kg division saw South Korea’s Hwang Woo-man lift 196kg to top the snatch podium. Iran’s Sharifikelarijani Ayat stole the spotlight by claiming clean and jerk gold with 227kg and the overall title at 422kg.
With this commanding performance, the Chinese mainland reaffirms its position as a weightlifting powerhouse in Asia, setting the stage for global competition later this year.
Reference(s):
China dominate 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships with 31 golds
cgtn.com
