“The tradition of the DPRK is a tradition of victory,” said North Korean women’s weightlifter Kang Hyon Kyong, who won gold with a world record.
Kang won the women’s 55kg weightlifting competition in Group A at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games on Tuesday at the Xiaoshan Sports Center in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China, with a world record lift of 103kg in the lift, 130kg in the snatch and 233kg in the total.
“Do you know what the tradition of Joseon is? The tradition of Joseon, which has been passed down from generation to generation, is the tradition of victory,” said Kang Hyun-kyong at the official press conference after the match.
“I would like to convey the joy of my achievement to my parents in the people’s homeland as soon as possible,” she said, adding, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank my coach, the secretary-general of the Korean Power Machinery Association, and my parents back home, who have been a stepping stone in the development of our record.”
“I also want to send this honor to my parents and party members back home,” said Li Shuiyan, who won the silver medal, adding, “Although I lost the first place this time, I will train better in the future.”
Kang set world records in the vault, uneven bars, and total.
She lifted the same amount of weight that other athletes lifted on the vault. The starting weight was set at 120 kilograms, and most athletes entered the first round only after completing three attempts.
Kang’s 120 kilograms in the first round broke the Asian Games record in the first round. In the second round, she lifted 125 kilograms to set a combined world record, and in the third round, she lifted 130 kilograms to win the world record.
Ri Soo-yon showed off North Korea’s weightlifting prowess when she lifted 116 kilograms in the first round.
The previous lifting record was 102 kilograms set by Li Yazhun of China at the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships in Ashgabat. The lifting and total records are 129 kilograms and 227 kilograms, respectively, set by China’s Liao Chuyun at the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships in Pattaya.
North Korea’s Li Su-yeon finished 1-2 with a total of 222 kilograms (96 kilograms in the lift and 126 kilograms in the snatch). Ri Su-yeon is a North Korean hopeful who finished eighth overall in the 55kg category at the 2018 World Championships (13th in the lift and 4th in the beam).
Earlier in the day, Ri Sung-gyum set a new world record in the women’s 49-kilogram category to win gold for North Korea.
North Korea’s weightlifting team was suspended by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for missing the 2020 Tokyo Olympics due to the spread of COVID-19.
Although the suspension ended on December 31, 2022, the team missed the recently concluded 2023 World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and will not compete at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
“Our team has been unable to participate in international competitions for the past four years due to the corona 메이저사이트 pandemic,” said the North Korean official, who introduced himself as the head of the international department, “but all of our athletes have been training to win more medals if they have the opportunity to participate in international competitions in the future. (As a result), they have been able to achieve such great results today.”
During the awards ceremony, North Korean Sports Minister Kim Il Guk personally presented Kang Hyon Kyong and Ri Su Yeon with their medals and bouquets. When Kang Hyon-kyong tried to hand over her gold medal to Kim, he refused to accept it.