(ATTN: ADDS details, quotes from 6th para, new photos)
By Kim Boram
NAGOYA, Japan, Sept. 29 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Park Hye-jeong captured silver in the heaviest weight class in women's weightlifting at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday.
In the women's +81-kilogram event final at Nagoya City Trade Industry Center in Nagoya, Japan, Park finished second with a total of 300 kilograms, with 133kg in the snatch and 167kg in the clean and jerk, behind Li Wenwen of China, who lifted a total of 310kg, with 140kg in the snatch and 170kg in the clean and jerk.
Bronze went to Ouisal Ikhlef of Qatar, who recorded a total of 273kg.
Park won the gold medal in the event at the previous Hangzhou Asian Games but failed to defend her Asiad title.
At the 2024 Paris Olympics, Park also won the silver medal behind Li.
South Korea's Park Hye-jeong (L) poses for a photo with gold medalist Li Wenwen of China (C) and bronze medalist Ouisal Ikhlef of Qatar during a medal ceremony after the women's +81-kilogram weightlifting event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Nagoya City Trade Industry Center in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 29, 2026. (Yonhap)
The snatch proceeded with Park and Li trading record-setting performances.
After succeeding with 128kg on her first attempt, Park lifted 130kg on her second, setting a new Asian Games record. But Li soon surpassed that mark with 132kg. Park then set another Asian Games record with 133kg, which Li again broke with 136kg.
On her third attempt, Li completed her snatch with a new Asian Games record of 140kg.
Park's 133kg in the snatch was a personal best and a new national record.
In the clean and jerk, the competition was less dramatic, with Li's gold and Park's silver effectively settled from the beginning.
Park lifted 167kg on her second attempt to set a personal best and establish a national record for her 300kg total. She then attempted 173kg for a personal best in the clean and jerk but failed.
Li started with 166kg and raised the weight to 170kg on her second attempt, bringing her total to 310kg, 10kg ahead of Park.
Park said she was pleased with her personal best in the snatch, which was 2kg more than her previous best and helped her reach the 300kg mark.
"Before I came here, I hoped to extend my record in the snatch, and I'm happy that I lifted 2kg more," she said. "I'll work harder to lift more than 300kg at the upcoming national competition and the world championships."
Park Hye-jeong of South Korea completes a successful lift in the clean and jerk during the women's +81-kilogram weightlifting event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Nagoya City Trade Industry Center in Nagoya, Japan, on Sept. 29, 2026. (Yonhap)
brk@yna.co.kr
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