News

By Kevin Farley

The first day of competition of READY STEADY TOKYO 2020 Olympic Games Test Event produced high drama and new world records as dozens of athletes lifted on the same stage where next year’s Olympic Games will be held in Tokyo, Japan.

In the day’s first session, HOU Zhihui (CHN) set a new world record in snatch in the women’s 49kg bodyweight category, with a 95kg lift. HOU, the silver medalist at the 2018 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Ashgabat, TKM previously held the record of 94kg with a lift she made at the IWF World Cup in Fuzhou, CHN in February. HOU won the event with a 205kg total.

JIANG Huihua (CHN) won silver in the women’s 49kg bodyweight category with a 204kg total. TAKAHASHI Ibuki (JPN) took home host nation’s first medal of the Test Event with a bronze in the total with 171kg.

LIAO Quiyun (CHN) took the crown in the women’s 55kg category with a 218kg total. HAM Eunji (KOR) won her nation’s first medal of the test event with a 183kg total, for silver, while YAGI Kanae (JPN) took home bronze with a 193kg total.

In the men’s 61kg session, QIN Fulin (CHN) won gold with a 305kg total with teammate LI Fabin (CHN) 4kg behind for silver with 301kg. HIRAI Hayato was Japan’s first male medalist with a 270kg total for bronze.

HUANG Minhao (CHN) set a new world record in the men’s 67kg snatch with a 155kg lift. Combined with a 173kg clean & jerk, he won gold with a 328kg total. LEE Chango (KOR) took home silver with 295kg and ITOKAZU Yoichi (JPN) won bronze with a 294kg total. 2018 World Champion CHEN Lijun (CHN) did not record a snatch, but did post a 180kg clean & jerk.

In the afternoon’s first session, CHEN Guiming (CHN) won the women’s 59kg session posting a 229kg total. ADOH Mikiko (JPN) won silver with a 220kg total and KIM Sohwa (KOR) took bronze with a 204kg total.

In the women’s 64kg bodyweight category, 2018 World Champion DENG Wei (CHN) continued her dominance, posting a 248kg total for gold. Silver medalist, HAN Sojin (KOR) finished 31kg behind with a 217kg total. KIM Yera (KOR) also finished with a 217kg total for bronze.

Japan claimed its first gold medal of the event in the women’s 71kg bodyweight category. ISHII Miku (JPN) swept gold with a 96kg snatch, 115kg clean & jerk and 211kg total. She was the sole athlete in this bodyweight category.

2018 World Champion ZHANG Wangli (CHN) picked up gold in the women’s 76kg bodyweight category with a 270kg total. KIM Suhyeon (KOR) took silver with a 242kg total and teammate MUN Minhee (KOR) went home with bronze with a 228kg total.

Korea swept the podium in the women’s 81kg bodyweight category, as only two athletes battled for gold. KANG Yonhee (KOR) came out on top with a 220kg total with teammate LEE Jieun taking silver with a 207kg total.

In the men’s 73kg bodyweight category, 2018 World Champion SHI Zhiyong (CHN) won gold with a 345kg total. MIYAMOTO Masanori (JPN) took home silver with 341kg while YUAN Chengfei (CHN) took bronze with a 337kg total.

A spirited 81kg competition ended with 2018 World Championships bronze medalist LI Dayin (CHN) taking gold with a 365kg total. 2018 World Champion LYU Xiaojun (CHN) claimed silver with a 350kg total with KIM Woojae (KOR) earning bronze with a 330kg total.

Team China claimed more world records as the event concluded Sunday in Japan’s capital city.

In the men’s 96kg category, TIAN Tao (CHN), the silver medalist at the 2018 World Weightlifting Championships, took home gold and set a new world record in clean & jerk with a 231kg lift. It was previously held by 2018 World Champion MORADI Sohrab (IRI). HAN Junghoon (KOR) claimed silver with a 343kg total.

JIN Yunseong (KOR) was crowned champion with a 386kg total, the only competitor in the men’s 102kg bodyweight category.

The men’s 109kg category featured the first athletes from countries beyond the Japan-China-Korea Friendship cup. But it was 2018 World Weightlifting Championships silver medalist YANG Zhe (CHN) who took gold, with a 406kg total. YANG attempted, but just missed setting the world record in the snatch, missing his 197kg final attempt. BOCHIKOV Rodion (RUS) claimed silver with a 388kg total while SEO Huiyeop (KOR) was the bronze medalist with a 386kg total.

Chinese Taipei claimed its first gold of the competition in the men’s +109kg bodyweight category with CHEN Shih-Chieh (TPE) taking the top spot with a 415kg total. A hometown crowd filled the Tokyo International Forum with loud cheers as MURAKAMI Eishiro (JPN) took silver with a 412kg total. ALBEGOV Ruslan (RUS) ended with a 343kg total, good enough for bronze.

In the women’s 87kg category, WANG Zhouyu (CHN) dominated the field, winning gold with 278kg, 48kg over silver medalist’s KLINGSEIS Marissa Eileen (USA) performance of 236kg. PASKHINA Ksenia (RUS) won bronze with a 222kg total.

The final session of the day produced the most drama of the competition as +87kg 2018 World Champion KASHIRINA Tatiana (RUS) and LI Wenwen (CHN) battled for the top of the podium. LI took a 1kg lead over KASHIRINA in the snatch with a 141kg at the break. LI came out on top with a 326kg total and a new junior world record 185kg clean & jerk. KASHIRINA finished in second with a 322kg total. KIM Jihyeon (KOR) took bronze with a 258kg total. 2016 Olympic Champion MENG Suping (CHN) withdrew from the competition.