China’s rising star Zhao Jinhong delivered a sensational performance on the opening day of the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jiangshan, east China’s Zhejiang Province. Competing in the women’s 45kg category, Zhao smashed the snatch world record not once, but twice, and swept gold in all three categories.
The home favorite wasted no time asserting her dominance. Zhao opened the snatch with a confident lift of 80 kilograms, securing top honors on her first attempt. Not settling for just a win, she boldly increased the weight to 88 kilograms, surpassing the previous world record of 87 kilograms set by the DPRK’s Won Hyon Sim. With the crowd roaring, Zhao further pushed her limits, hoisting 90 kilograms on her third attempt and resetting the world record once more.
In the clean & jerk, Zhao continued her impressive form. She opened with 100 kilograms, the highest mark of the day, clinching another gold medal. Aiming to surpass her own total world record of 200 kilograms, she attempted 111 kilograms on her next two lifts. Despite narrowly missing both attempts, her combined performance ensured she stood unchallenged atop the podium with three gold medals.
“My goal was to break the snatch world record, and I’m glad I achieved that,” Zhao shared after her triumphant outing. “When I challenged the clean & jerk record, I wasn’t quite as fired up. My energy dipped, and the glaring lights unsettled me, causing me to lose my footing. That’s why I couldn’t complete the lift.”
The men’s 55kg category saw intense competition despite a modest field of six contenders. China’s Wang Weidong had a shaky start in the snatch, with his opening lift of 115 kilograms disallowed due to a technical fault. He recovered to successfully lift 115 and 119 kilograms on his subsequent attempts, securing the silver medal. Vietnam’s Lai Gia Thanh delivered flawless lifts, achieving a personal best of 120 kilograms to take the snatch gold.
Undeterred, Wang staged a remarkable comeback in the clean & jerk. His opening lift of 142 kilograms not only secured the gold but also elevated his total to edge past Lai by one kilogram. Pushing further, Wang hoisted 146 kilograms on his final attempt, bringing his combined total to 265 kilograms and sealing both the clean & jerk and overall gold medals.
The Asian Weightlifting Championships continue to showcase remarkable talent across the continent, with young athletes like Zhao and Wang inspiring the next generation of weightlifters.
