North Koreans smash weightlifting world records after four-year absence

North Korean weightlifters return to international competition after four years, shattering world records. Ri Song Gum won gold in 49kg, Kang Hyong Yong in 55kg, both setting new world records. Jiang Huihua, China's world champion, surprised by Ri's success after long absence.

North Korean weightlifters shattered a slew of world records at the Asian Games on Saturday on their return to international competition after four years, surprising one Chinese rival whose mark was obliterated by their exploits.

Ri Song Gum broke two world records in the women's 49kg, the first weightlifting event of the Hangzhou Games, having not competed outside North Korea since 2019 because of the pandemic.

Then Kang Hyong Yong, a 24-year-old with no international pedigree, set a hat-trick of world records in snatch, clean and jerk, and combined on her way to gold in the women's 55kg class.

Ri, a 140cm tall (4ft 7in) pocket-rocket, secured gold on her second attempt in the clean and jerk at 122kg.

She drew gasps from the crowd as she raised the bar to 124kg, four kilos greater than had ever been lifted in that discipline before this competition.

She hoisted it aloft to set a new world record total of 216kg, then leapt for joy, before bursting into tears as she was hugged by her coaches.

It was the 25-year-old's second consecutive Asian Games gold, having taken the now-defunct 48kg category five years ago with a much smaller 199kg total.