North Korea shows weightlifting prowess in Nagoya
Summary
North Korea’s Ri Won-ju won the men’s 70-kilogram weightlifting title at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday. He lifted 349kg total, pulling away in the clean and jerk after trailing Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto in the snatch. North Korea’s gold medals at the Games have all come from weightlifting so far.
Key Facts
- Ri Won-ju lifted 151kg in the snatch and 198kg in the clean and jerk for a 349kg total.
- Ri finished second in the snatch after failing at 146kg on his first attempt before making that weight on his second try and 151kg on his third.
- Masanori Miyamoto of Japan took silver with 342kg, while Albert Ian Delos Santos of the Philippines won bronze with 324kg.
- No South Korean athlete competed in the men’s 70kg category.
- In the men’s 75kg final that followed, Son Hyeon-ho failed to lift 149kg in all three snatch attempts and exited the competition.
All of North Korea's 5 Asian Games medals so far come from one sport
North Korea’s Kang Hyon-gyong, center, gold medalist in the women’s 53-kilogram weightlifting event, waves during the medal ceremony at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the Nagoya Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Center in Nagoya, Japan, Wednesday. Yonhap
North Korea’s Ri Won-ju claimed the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games men’s 70-kilogram weightlifting title on Saturday, showcasing overwhelming strength in the clean and jerk. With the country struggling in gymnastics, canoeing and other events, all five of its gold medals so far have come from weightlifting.
Ri won the gold medal in the men’s 70kg category at the Nagoya Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Center in Nagoya, Japan, on Saturday, lifting 151 kilograms in the snatch and 198kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 349kg.
Ri finished second in the snatch after failing to lift 146kg in his first attempt before successfully lifting 146kg in his second and 151kg in his third, trailing Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto, who lifted 154kg. However, Ri staged a decisive comeback in his specialty, the clean and jerk.
After easily lifting 187kg in his first attempt put himself in position for gold, Ri lifted 192kg in his second attempt and then hoisted 198kg in his third, leaving his rivals unable to catch up.
Miyamoto took silver with a total of 342kg, comprising a 154kg snatch and a 188kg clean and jerk. Albert Ian Delos Santos of the Philippines won bronze with a combined 324kg, lifting 141kg in the snatch and 183kg in the clean and jerk. No South Korean athlete competed in the category.
In the men’s 75kg final that followed, Son Hyeon-ho of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special Metropolitan City, who had been expected to contend for a medal, failed to lift 149kg in all three snatch attempts and exited the competition.
Indonesia’s Rahmat Erwin Abdullah won gold with a total of 366kg, narrowly edging Thailand’s Wiraphon Wichuma, who finished with 365kg. North Korea’s Ri Chong-song claimed bronze with a total of 357kg.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.
Explore More
- Q.
- Q.
- Q.