Pak Myong Jin is a prominent weightlifter from North Korea, who put up a true masterclass performance at the 2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, held in Ningbo, China, from October 27th to November 8th. Representing his country in the men’s U65KG division, Pak’s display of strength and composure earned him a gold medal. Moreover, by the end of the dramatic session, Pak broke both the Clean & Jer and Total World Records.
Pak Myong Jin’s Full Performance Overview
At 23 years old, Pak Myong Jin entered the competition as a seasoned international competitor despite his young age, having built a reputation across Asian and world-level events. His official bodyweight for the 2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships came out to 64.8 kilograms (142.9 pounds) and he ended up successfully completing five out of six attempts.
Snatch
Pak Myong Jin began his campaign with a smooth Snatch opener at 140 kilograms (308.6 pounds), putting up a solid baseline at the start of the competition. He built on this momentum for his second attempt, successfully lifting 144 kilograms (317.5 pounds), which ended up securing him a top five finish in the event.
Looking to push higher into medal contention, Pak Myong Jin called for 147 kilograms (324.1 pounds) on his final Snatch attempt. It was, however, too heavy for him on the day, marking his only unsuccessful lift of the competition. He still had a lot of ground to make up on the Clean & Jerk.
- 140 kilograms (308.6 pounds)
- 144 kilograms (317.5 pounds)
- Unsuccessful — 147 kilograms (324.1 pounds)
Clean & Jerk
The Clean & Jerk event turned into a thrilling battle of record-breaking performances. Pak Myong Jin opened with a confident lift of 179 kilograms (394.6 pounds) immediately shifting momentum in his favor. He increased his second attempt to 183 kilograms (403.4 pounds) and executed the lift cleanly, putting even more pressure on his rivals.
The session reached its peak when Hampton Morris set a new World Record with an 185-kilogram (407.9-pound) lift. Pak Myong Jin remained unfazed, returning to the platform for his final attempt at 187 kilograms (412.3 pounds). He executed the lift perfectly to set a new Clean & Jerk World Record and surpass both Morris and Özbek, simultaneously claiming the Total World Record as well.
- 179 kilograms (394.6 pounds)
- 183 kilograms (403.4 pounds)
- 187 kilograms (412.3 pounds) — U65KG IWF World Record
*Coming into the competition, He Yueji held the U65KG IWF Clean & Jerk World Record of 183-kg (403.4-lb), which he set at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships.
Total — 331 kilograms (729.7 pounds) — U65KG IWF World Record
*Coming into the competition, He Yueji held the U65KG Total World Record of 329-kg (725.3-lb), which he set at the 2026 Asian Weightlifting Championships.
2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships: U65KG Rankings
- Pak Myong Jin (PRK): 331-kg (729.7-lb)
- Muhammed Furkan Özbek (TUR): 330-kg (727.5-lb)
- Hampton Miller Morris (USA): 328-kg (723.1-lb)
Check out the epic U65KG battle here:
Pak Myong Jin’s victory at the 2026 IWF World Weightlifting Championships is a great addition to his already incredible resume, which includes gold medals from the 2024 World Weightlifting Championships and the 2024 Asian Weightlifting Championships. So, it is clear that Pak is steadily cementing his reputation as one of weightlifting’s premier athletes.
