North Korean Weightlifter Sets Three World Records To Win Historic Asian Games Gold

Last Updated:September 23, 2026, 2:37 PM IST

North Korean star Ri Song Gum shattered three world records en route to women’s 49kg gold, producing one of the most dominant performances of the Games.

Ri Song Gum of North Korea celebrates after a successful lift as she competes during the women’s 49kg weightlifting final at the Asian Games (Picture credit: AP)

Star North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum on Wednesday broke a whopping three world records to win the gold medal in the women’s 49kg category, the discipline in which India’s Mirabai Chanu won silver.

The pocket powerhouse, standing at just 140cm (4 ft 7 in), joined an elite group of just four weightlifters to have won three Asian Games gold medals.

The 28-year-old Ri was emotional as her national anthem played during the medal ceremony.

Joining Ri on the podium were India’s silver medallist Mirabai Chanu and Indonesia’s bronze medallist Luluk Diana Tri Wijayna.

Ri’s exceptional achievement was cheered at the Nagoya Trade and Industry Centre hall, with a large contingent of Japanese and North Korean fans adding to the raucous atmosphere as they waved flags in celebration.

The reigning two-time world champion added a third Asian Games gold to her collection, after wins in the 48kg class in Jakarta in 2018 and the 49kg category in Hangzhou in 2023.

Ri lifted 94kg in her opening snatch attempt, one kilogramme more than the previous world record of 93kg.

Ri then broke the clean and jerk world record of 115kg twice, first lifting 116kg before hoisting 121kg. Her combined total of 215kg also went past the previous world record by 7kg.

“The reason I got this gold is for the feelings of my home country; the people had huge expectations for me. I wanted to lift my country up on these two small shoulders,” Ri said while speaking to the media.

From August 1, the IWF introduced new bodyweight categories ahead of the 2028 Olympics and established new world standards for the revamped categories

Any athlete who goes past the newly established world standard is deemed to have set a new world record.

Ri has never competed at the Olympics. North Korea withdrew from the Tokyo 2020 Games over COVID-19 concerns and couldn’t qualify for the weightlifting competition at Paris 2024.

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Who won the gold medal in the women’s 49kg weightlifting category at the Asian Games?

North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum won the gold medal in the women’s 49kg category by breaking three world records.

Which athletes won the silver and bronze medals in the women’s 49kg weightlifting event?

India’s Mirabai Chanu secured the silver medal, while Indonesia’s Luluk Diana Tri Wijayna won the bronze medal.

What records did Ri Song Gum break during her historic Asian Games performance?

Ri broke the snatch world record by lifting 94kg, broke the clean and jerk world record twice with lifts of 116kg and 121kg, and set a new combined total world record of 215kg.

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