Ri Song Gum wasted no time at the 2024 IWF World Cup, having set a new world record in opening days of the prestigious competition. The competition is taking place in Phuket, Thailand, from March 31st until April 11th. The expectations for the competition were high, but Ri Song Gum made sure to break the ice by setting a 221-kilogram (487.2-pound) Total World Record in the 49-kilogram weight class.
Ri Song Gum 2024 IWF World Cup Performance Overview
Snatch
As always, the first event of the competition was the snatch, where Ri Song Gum immediately displayed new improvements. She opened up with a 91-kilogram (200.6-pound) lift, which was just slightly below her previous competition PR. Nonetheless, she smashed the PR on her second attempt at 95 kilograms (209.4 pounds).
Song Gum was not done yet, as she had one attempt remaining. So, she loaded mind-blowing 97 kilograms (213.8 pounds) on the bar. Once again, she crushed the lift, setting herself up for an extremely heavy total.
Interestingly, prior to the 2024 IWF World Cup, the U49KG Snatch World Record stood at 96 kilograms (211.6 pounds). However, despite exceeding that number, Ri Song Gum did not break the record, as Zhihui Hou snatched 97 kilograms (213.8 pounds) at the competition as well. So, Song Gum was technically the second woman to do so, despite performing the same lift just a few minutes later.
- 91 kilograms (200.6 pounds)
- 95 kilograms (209.4 pounds)
- 97 kilograms (213.8 pounds)
Clean & Jerk
The second portion of the 2024 IWF World Cup saw the women perform the Clean & Jerk, which is Ri Song Gum’s greatest event. So, it wasn’t surprising to see her open up with a lift of 120 kilograms (264.6 pounds), which would later turn out to be heavier than all other women managed across all three of their attempts.
Despite the fact that the opener was good enough to beat everyone, Ri Song Gum had personal goals in mind. So, she decided to Clean & Jerk 124 kilograms (273.4 pounds) on her second attempt. Once again, the lift moved smoothly like butter, allowing Song Gum to set a new Total World Record.
Ri Song Gum attempted to break the Clean & Jerk World Record as well, going for 126 kilograms (277.8 pounds) on her final attempt. However, having performed some massive lifts on the day already, Ri was unable to secure her second World Record.
- 120 kilograms (264.6 pounds)
- 124 kilograms (273.4 pounds)
- Unsuccessful — 126 kilograms (277.8 pounds)
Total — 221 kilograms (487.2 pounds) — U49KG World Record
Note: Ri Song Gum’s Clean & Jerk is displayed in the second part of the video below, right after Zhihui Hou’s Snatch.
Ri Song Gum is enjoying topping the leaderboards of the 49-kilogram weight class, as she has accumulated a fair amount of success. She claimed multiple prestigious titles, including the Asian Championships and the IWF World Cup. She now holds World Records in two out of the three events, but with the way that her Snatch is improving, Song Gum could soon complete her collection.
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