In the Chinese mainland city of Jiangshan, weightlifting fans were treated to a series of record-shattering performances at the Asian Weightlifting Championships.
The highlight of the women's 71kg snatch came down to a fierce duel between home champion Yang Qiuxia and the DPRK’s Song Kuk Hyang. Both athletes opened with a bold 115kg, but Song’s lift was ruled a no-lift. Yang sailed through and then dialed up the pressure with a smooth 120kg. Song roared back on her final attempt, hoisting 121kg to tie the world record. With the crowd on the edge of their seats, Yang answered by pushing the bar to 122kg. After a tense 10-minute video review, officials confirmed her lift as a new world record—and snatch gold.
Song reclaimed the spotlight in the clean & jerk, blasting through 145kg on her opener then boldly jumping to 155kg. That lift not only won her gold but also smashed both the clean & jerk and total world records, sealing a combined total of 276kg.
Yang added a 140kg clean & jerk for a 262kg total, earning silver medals in both events and highlighting a new era of global competition.
In the 76kg class, world champion Liao Guifang dominated from the start. She nailed all three snatch attempts and broke the world record with a final lift of 125kg. In the clean & jerk, a 154kg lift pushed her total to 279kg, another world record. Despite missing a 157kg clean & jerk attempt, Liao walked away with three golds.
Meanwhile, in the 81kg division, world champion Wu Yan secured snatch gold with a 116kg lift and closed out the competition with a flawless 147kg clean & jerk, finishing with a 263kg total and two more titles.
These performances underline a new benchmark in women's weightlifting, with athletes pushing boundaries and inspiring a global audience hungry for strength, strategy, and sporting passion.
Reference(s):
Liao, Yang shatter world records at Asian Weightlifting Championships
cgtn.com
