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World Record Parade in the men’s 81kg

The men’s 81kg bodyweight category brought amazing competition and a lot of World Records. In the end, the Olympic Champion and now four times World Champion LYU Xiaojun could celebrate, finishing second in both lifts but winning the Gold in the Total. "This is over my expectations. I am not the youngest, but I still want to compete, I want my name at World Records." - LYU said holding his medals. The 32 years old legend broke a World Record in the Snatch with 172kg, but Olympic Bronze Medallist MAHMOUD Mohamed Ihab Youssef Ahmed (EGY) lifted one kilogram more. On the third place, 20 years old LI Dayin (CHN) with 168kg - being only one of his 8 World Records set. In the Clean and Jerk, LI took the lead over his two more experienced rivals with a 204kg Junior World Record. LYU managed 202kg, while MAHMOUD 200kg. In the Total, there was 1-1kg difference between the first three lifters. The World Champion title belongs to LYU with 374kg and also a World Record. He was followed by MAHMOUD and LI. American MAURUS Harrison James, the youngest in the bodyweight category was a worthy rival for LI, getting to 200kg and setting 3 Junior World

China won Gold – once again

The Olympic and World Champion SHI Zhiyong (CHI) won all three Gold Medals in the men’s 73kg bodyweight category. The Chinese lifter triumphed with 164kg in the Snatch and 196kg in the Clean and Jerk, achieving 5 World Record altogether, with 360kg in the Total. The Silver Medal was taken by Korean WON Jeongsik (348kg) who’s 195kg Clean and Jerk was World Record before SHI broke it. LIKHARAD Vadzim (BLR) was the third in Total and second in the Snatch.  On this lift, the other Chinese FENG Lyudong got the Bronze with 155kg. Kazakh RAHIMOV Nijat finished third (190kg) in the Clean and Jerk. The youngest in this bodyweight category out of the 11 competing in Group A, several times Youth and Junior World Champion CUMMINGS JR Clarence set 4 Junior World

World Records: KUO four and CHEN one

Five lifters shared the Medals in the women’s 59kg bodyweight category. The one who won the most, 2 Golds and 1 Silver was KUO Hsing-Chun (TPE), who also set 4 World Records along the way. The two times World Champion and Rio Olympics Bronze Medallist, after lifting 100kg and 103kg, also successfully lifted 105kg, a new World Record. She kept going setting World Records in Clean and Jerk with 132kg and Total with 233 and 237kg. Still, she had to settle for the Silver because on the second lift, Chinese CHEN Guiming didn’t only overtake her, but claimed her newly set World Record as well, with 133kg. Standing third on the podium with KUO and CHEN (232kg), setting a series of World Records, KOHA Rebeca (LAT) with 227kg. "I thought I could set a Clean and Jerk record, but I didn't expect the other two, it kind of just happened, I am so happy!" - KUO said surrounded by her cheering team.   As a surprise in the Snatch, Vietnamese HOANG Thi Duyen from the B Group got the Silver medal with 103kg. ANDOH Mikiko is the owner of the fifth medal, as she won the Bronze with a 131kg Clean and

Third Asian Gold within Men

Once again, an Asian winner was announced in the Men’s 67kg bodyweight category, after winner from PRK and INA in the past days. Today a Chinese athlete claimed the first place. CHEN Lijun, 2013 and 2015 World Champion ranked second in the Snatch with 150kg, behind his compatriot, HUANG Minhao lifting 152kg, but only finished ninth in the Clean and Jerk, so he had to settle for the Silver in Total. CHEN won with his Clean and Jerk lift at 182kg and his Total with 332kg. He tried to lift 185kg, what could have been a world record, but this proved to be too much for him. On the third place, Venezuelan MOYARA PERNIA Julio Ruben, who also won the Snatch Bronze. A great returner was FIGUEROA MOSQUERA Oscar Albeiro (COL) who once said goodbye to competitive weightlifting in Rio 2016. He had a modest result in the Snatch and the Total (8th and 5th place) but earned a Bronze Medal in the Clean and Jerk with

Iconic Weigthtlifter, Yurik Vardanyan died at the age of 62

The weightlifting world mournes the untimely death of the Armenian legend considered by many as one of the All-Time Greatest. Vardanyan won a gold medal at the 1980 Summer Olympics, becoming the world's first weightlifter to achieve a 400 kilogram total in the 82.5 kg bodyweight category. He was a seven-times World and five-times European Champion and held 41 world records. Later in his life, Vardanyan served as Armenia's ambassador to Georgia. He passed away in the United States at the age of 62. IWF offers it's condolences to the Vardanyan family and the Armenian Weightlifting Federation.

Thailand: Three out of three

After the women's 45 and 49kg, once again, a Thai lifter took the lead in the 55kg bodyweight category. SRISURAT Sukanya (THA) broke the World Standard with her first lift in the Snatch, what she improved to 103kg and then to 105kg. In the Clean and Jerk, the 2016 Olympic Champion and two times World second set the World Record three times and the 127kg and 232kg Total were worthy of Gold. "Before the Championships we concentrated on technical training, and I improved a lot. I feel relieved and happy." - SRISURAT told holding her Medals. Two Chinese lifters followed SRISURAT, having the same Total results, 225kg, but 2013 World Champion LI Yajun was first to succeed for the Silver Medal, so ZHANG Wanqiong, 2012 Junior World Champion had to settle for Bronze. LANDOULSI Nouha from Tunisia, this year's Junior World Championship Silver Medalist broke the Junior World Record in the Snatch with