China’s reigning Olympic champion Liu Huanhua showcased his dominance at the Asian Weightlifting Championships in Jiangshan, east China’s Zhejiang Province, on Wednesday. Competing in the men’s 102-kilogram category, Liu clinched gold in both the clean and jerk and the total score.
Liu began strong in the snatch, lifting 171 kilograms on his first attempt and successfully hoisting 180 kilograms on his second. However, Turkmenistan’s Hasanbayev Davranbek, the Asian record holder in this division, edged ahead by lifting 182 kilograms on his final attempt. Liu’s ambitious attempt at 183 kilograms didn’t materialize, leaving him with the silver in the snatch while Davranbek took gold.
Undeterred, Liu excelled in the clean and jerk, successfully lifting 220 kilograms and then 230 kilograms on his first two attempts. Aiming to break his own world record, he went for 234 kilograms on his final try but narrowly missed. Despite that, his 230-kilogram lift secured him the gold in the clean and jerk and propelled him to the top of the total standings with a combined weight of 410 kilograms.
“I performed well according to my daily training, but I expect more from myself,” Liu said after the competition. “I wasn’t in my best form and failed to lift 234 kilograms on my last attempt. After lifting 230 kilograms through sheer willpower, I could almost feel my waist separating from my body at that moment.”
In the women’s 87-kilogram category, China’s Tian Dongping and Jiang Yujia battled for gold. Tian led in the snatch with a successful 118-kilogram lift, while Jiang took silver with 113 kilograms. In the clean and jerk, Jiang opened strong by lifting 140 kilograms but ultimately settled for silver. Tian claimed gold with a first lift of 141 kilograms, and although she missed 148 kilograms on her second attempt, her total of 259 kilograms secured her all three gold medals in the division.
