Il Gyong Kim put in a lot of hard work to prepare for the 2024 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, and it definitely paid off. Kim’s appearance in Manama, Bahrain, saw her take part in and win the 59-kilogram weight class. Not only that, Kim also set new Clean & Jerk and Total World Records.
Il Gyong Kim’s Full Performance Overview
Snatch
While the majority of the athletes in the 59-kilogram weight class were unable to get a snatch of 100+ kilograms (220.5+ pounds), Il Gyong Kim’s first attempt came out to 103 kilograms (227 pounds).
Although the opening lift was impressive, Il Gyong Kim’s second attempt was even more impressive, coming out to 106 kilograms (233.7 pounds). However, that was not the end, as she needed to load another 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) to beat Xinyi Pei. That is exactly what Kim did, crushing a 108-kilogram (238.1-pound) Snatch to take the lead.
- 103 kilograms (227 pounds)
- 106 kilograms (233.7 pounds)
- 108 kilograms (238.1 pounds)
Clean & Jerk
Although the Snatch was Il Gyong Kim’s more proficient event in the past, she shocked everyone with how far her Clean & Jerk has progressed. Her first attempt came out to 130 kilograms (286.6 pounds), which is one of the best starts she ever had in this event. Kim’s second attempt was even more impressive, coming out to 134 kilograms (295.4 pounds).
Surprisingly, Il Gyong Kim decided to make a massive 7-kilogram (15.4-pound) jump for her final attempt, coming out to 141 kilograms (310.9 pounds). This is not often sighted in weightlifting, but Kim decided to make the move in order to go for the World Record. The Clean portion of the lift moved just a bit slower, but the Jerk was nothing short of spectacular. In turn, Kim walked away with new World Records in the Clean & Jerk and Total.
- 130 kilograms (286.6 pounds)
- 134 kilograms (295.4 pounds)
- 141 kilograms (310.9 pounds) — U59KG IWF World Record
*Kuo Hsing-Chun held the previous U59KG IWF Clean & Jerk World Record of 140-kg (308.6-lb). She set that record at the 2019 IWF World Championships.
Total — 249 kilograms (549 pounds) — U59KG IWF World Record
*Luo Shifang held the previous U59KG IWF Total World Record of 248-kg (546.7-lb), which she set at the 2024 IWF World Cup.
Watch Kim’s clean & jerk here:
Il Gyong Kim is currently in better shape than she ever was, which resulted in her first World Championships title. However, there is certainly a lot still to come from Kim, as she is just 21-years-old. She now holds all three World Records in her weight class, which is an impressive display of dominance in itself.
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