Ri Song Gum Smashes World Records to Win Gold as Mirabai Chanu Claims Asian Games Silver

North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum delivered a dominant performance at the Nagoya Asian Games, setting three new world records on her path to victory in the women’s 49kg division. The result also marked a breakthrough for India’s Mirabai Chanu, who captured the silver medal after previously falling short in her earlier attempts at the continental championship.

Ri’s triumph provided North Korea with its first gold of the games. At 28 years old, she became only the fourth weightlifter in history and the first woman to claim three Asian Games gold medals in the sport. She joins an exclusive group that includes Iran’s Mohammad Nassiri, South Korea’s Kim Tae-hyun, and Iran’s Behdad Salimi. No athlete has yet won four weightlifting titles at the Asian Games.

In the opening snatch segment, Ri lifted 94kg overhead, surpassing the previous world record by 1kg. She continued her record-breaking stretch in the clean and jerk, lifting 115kg, then 116kg, and finally 121kg—breaking the world record twice in that discipline. Her combined total of 215kg exceeded the prior world standard by 7kg.

Meanwhile, 32-year-old Chanu finally secured an Asian Games medal, ending a 28-year drought for India in weightlifting since Karnam Malleswari won silver in 1998. Chanu, who already holds an Olympic silver from Tokyo 2021 and three Commonwealth gold medals, lifted a total of 198kg, comprising an 87kg snatch and a 111kg clean and jerk.

Indonesia’s Diana Tri Wijayana took the bronze medal with a total lift of 191kg (88kg snatch, 103kg clean and jerk). Chanu’s silver caps a distinguished career as India’s most decorated weightlifter, adding a historic continental result to her record of global titles and international podium finishes.