Rio 2016: N. Korea adds second silver in weightlifting
North Korean weightlifter Choe Hyo-sim lifts a barbell during the women's under-63kg weightlifting competition at the Riocentro-Pavilion 2 in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 9, 2016. Choe won silver with a total of 248kg and earned North Korea's second medal at the Rio Games. / Yonhap
By Hong Dam-young
North Korea earned its second medal at the Rio Olympics, Tuesday.
Weightlifter Choe Hyo-shim won silver in the women’s 63kg weight class, setting a record with 105kg in the snatch and 143kg in the clean and jerk for a total 248kg.
Weightlifter Om Yun-chul won North Korea’s first medal ― also silver ― on Sunday. He hoisted 134kg in the snatch and 169kg in the clean and jerk in the 56kg class.
Choe was third in the snatch but was able to move up to second in the clean and jerk, her specialty.
Choe said she was unhappy with the result and will try harder to win gold next time, according to the AP news agency.
“I could have tried much harder,” Choe said.
China’s Deng Wei took gold with a record 115kg in the snatch and 147kg in the clean and jerk, breaking the previous world record total of 261kg set by Lin Tzu-Chi of Taiwan in the 2014 Asian Games.
Deng’s clean and jerk broke her own world record by 1kg.
Lin withdrew from the Olympics hours before the event after her doping test sample taken in Taiwan showed an abnormal reaction.