North Korea continues its dominance. Having already set new world records in every session held so far at the 2024 Asian Weightlifting Championships (AWC), the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) maintained its momentum in the evening of Feb. 4, 2024.
This year’s AWC is held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from Feb. 3 to 10. There, during the Women’s 55-kilogram Group A session, athlete Kang Hyon Gyong set a new world record in the snatch of 104 kilograms, or 229.2 pounds.
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Gyong currently holds all three world records in the Women’s 55-kilogram category (130 kilograms in the clean & jerk and 233 kilos in the Total). Her 104-kilogram snatch from Tashkent bested her previous record by a single kilogram, which she had set last autumn at the 19th Asian Games. Here’s a breakdown of her performance at this year’s AWC where she handily won her class overall:
Kang Hyon Gong (55KG) | 2024 Asian Weightlifting Championships
- Snatch: 90, 98, 104 | World Record
- Clean & Jerk: 115, 123, 130x
- Total: 227
Why She Wins
Gyong is undoubtedly one of the best weightlifters in the world. Unlike many athletes currently rostered on Team DPRK, Gyong boasts a long and impressive competition resume. Her first appearance at an International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) event was way back in 2013, where she placed fourth at that year’s Youth World Championships.
That said, her uncontested reign over the 55-kilogram division comes with a fairly large asterisk attached — there won’t be a Women’s 55-kilogram event at the upcoming 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France. Many of the world’s best weightlifters around that body weight have moved to either the 49-kilogram or 59-kilogram categories instead:
2023 World Weightlifting Championships | Women
- Women’s 49-Kilogram Winner: Jiang Huihua, 215KG Total
- Women’s 55-Kilogram Winner: Chen Guan-Ling, 203KG Total
- Women’s 59-Kilogram Winner: Luo Shifang, 243KG Total
Editor’s Note: Team DPRK was barred entry from the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships due to failing to adhere to drug testing protocols. Had Gyong competed at that event and put up a comparable Total, she’d have won by a large margin.
China, the DPRK’s chief rival in weightlifting, opted not to send an athlete to compete in the Women’s 55s at last year’s Worlds. At the time, Chinese athletes owned all three world records in that division.
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With the most dominant country in women’s weightlifting focusing almost exclusively on the Paris-recognized classes, an opportunity has emerged for the DPRK to gain some ground across the divisions of the sport that won’t be showcased at the Olympics. World-record caliber athletes like Gyong are proving that the People’s Republic can contend with the best in the world.
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Featured Image courtesy of Weightlifting House
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