Kang Hyon-gyong of North Korea celebrates after successfully lifting 124 kg in the clean and jerk in the women's 53 kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the SME Support Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday. She set a new Asian Games record. [Yonhap]
Kang Hyon-gyong of North Korea celebrates after successfully lifting 124 kg in the clean and jerk in the women's 53 kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at the SME Support Hall in Nagoya, Japan, on Wednesday. She set a new Asian Games record. [Yonhap]

North Korea's weightlifting delegation at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games wrapped up its schedule with every athlete taking home a medal.

North Korea's top weightlifter, Ro Gwang-ryol, claimed gold Monday in the men's 85 kg event at the SME Support Hall in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, Japan, lifting 165 kg in the snatch and 214 kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 379 kg. He set world records in both the clean and jerk and the total.

Ro broke the previous world record with a 214 kg lift on his third clean-and-jerk attempt, then shattered another world mark by posting a 379 kg total.

The result gave North Korea its seventh gold medal in weightlifting at the Games, keeping the country in ninth place in the overall standings.

All of North Korea's gold medals at this year's Games came from weightlifting. Including two silvers and one bronze, the country finished with 10 weightlifting medals in total.

North Korea sent five men and five women — 10 athletes in all — to the weightlifting competition, and every one of them left with a medal.

Having not entered competitors in the super-heavyweight categories for either gender, North Korea concluded its weightlifting program with Ro's event.

Meanwhile, silver medalist Aleksei Churkin of Kazakhstan set a world record of 173 kg in the snatch but was limited to 205 kg in the clean and jerk, finishing with a total of 378 kg — just 1 kg behind Ro.

The bronze went to Chen Shunnan of China, who totaled 374 kg with a 163 kg snatch and 211 kg clean and jerk.

South Korea's Kim Seong-min finished sixth with a total of 351 kg, lifting 155 kg in the snatch and 196 kg in the clean and jerk.


kimstar@heraldcorp.com