Today wraps up the 2020 Asian Championships (AWC) that took place in Tashkent Uzbekistan, April 16-25, 2021. The event was originally scheduled for April 18-25, 2020, however, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it was postponed. It was the 49th men’s and 39th women’s championships and also a gold-level qualifier for the 2020 Tokyo Olympia Games taking place July 23-August 8.
Many of the world’s best weightlifters achieved world records both on the men’s and women’s side of which we’ve included below.
World Records Lifts
Men
Shi Zhiyong – 73 kg
- 169 kg/372 lbs snatch
Li Dayin – 81 kg
- 175kg/385 lbs snatch
Yang Zhe – 109 kg
- 200kg/440 lbs snatch
Ruslan Nurudinov – 109 kg
- 241kg/531 lbs clean and jerk
- 429 kg Asian record
Watch 169kg Snatch world record
Women
Hou Zhihui – 49 kg
- 96 kg/211 lbs snatch
- 213 kg/469 lbs total
Saikhom Mirabai Chanu – 49 kg
- 119 kg/262 lbs clean and jerk
Kuo Hsing-Chun – 59 kg
- 110 kg/242 lbs snatch
- 247 kg/544 lbs total
Li Wenwen +87 kg
- 148 kg/326 lbs snatch
- 187 kg/412 lbs clean and jerk
- 335 kg/738 lbs total
Related news: Mattie Rogers Pulls Off A Pair Of Records With 111kg Snatch At 2021 Pan American Weightlifting Championships
Notable Women’s Performances
While all performances should be acknowledged, there were a few that stood out.
In the 48 kg category, China’s Hou Zhihui put on a magnificent performance with a 96 kg/211 lbs snatch and 213 kg/469 lbs total for two world record and gold medals on top of that. She was also the record holder in the snatch (95kg/209.4 lbs) prior.
The clean and jerk record was also broken in the same weight category by Saikhom Mirabai of India.
The 59 kg weight class saw Kuo Hsing-Chun claim all three world records being the snatch, clean, and jerk and total. She’s an absolute beast in her weight class. Cho Hyo Sim previously held the snatch record of 107 lbs/235.9 kg.
For the +87 kg class, China’s Li Wenwen broke the world and Asian world record in the snatch and set two more world records in the clean and jerk and total with some monstrous performances, earning herself triple gold at the event.
Notable Men’s Performances
On the men’s side, you have Shi Zhiyong in the 73 kg class who snatched the record in the snatch but this performance only improved upon the world record that already belonged to him. He eclipsed the record from the 2019 AWC by a kilogram.
Zhiyong also held all three world records in the 73 kg category but came up short of new records in the clean and jerk and total. But he had an all-around impressive showing nonetheless.
Also read: Powerlifter Chad Penson Becomes First Man to Squat 400 kg in 90kg-Weight Class Raw and Breaks TWR
For the 81kg men’s, Lü Xiaojun initially broke the snatch worked record with a 174 kg/383.6 lbs lift, however, it was short-lived as Li Dayin eclipsed that number by a kilogram, snatching 175kg/385.8 lbs.
Xiaojun’s record snatch did surpass the 173 kg/381.4 lbs snatch record previously held by Egypt’s Mohamed Ihab who’s retired.
Lastly, for the men’s 109 kg category, two world records were snagged that were previously held by Simon Martirosyan of Armenia, although he still holds the total record.
Two men, china’s Yang Zhe and Uzbekistan’s Ruslan Nurudinov beat his snatch and clean and jerk record respectively, with a 220kg/441 lbs snatch from Zhe and 241kg/531 lbs clean and jerk by Nurudinov.
These were incredible performances from Asia’s elite weightlifters.
Published: 25 April, 2021 | 2:31 PM EDT
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