North Koreas Ri Song-gum Sets Three World Records

Ri Song-gum set three world records in one evening at the Nagoya Congress Center, taking her third consecutive Asian Games gold in the women's 49 kg class on 23 September 2026. The 28-year-old lifted 94 kg in the snatch, 121 kg in the clean and jerk, and 215 kg in total — a full 7 kg above the old world mark.

One opener, no contest

The North Korean seized control before a single bar was loaded. While every rival requested starting weights between 67 kg and 88 kg, Ri alone asked for 90 kg and waited until all others had finished their turns.

She made that lift without difficulty, then moved to 94 kg to break the snatch record by one kilogram. In the clean and jerk she hoisted 116 kg to secure gold, then followed with 121 kg, shattering the old standard of 115 kg and letting out a roar.

Fourth to three, first woman ever

Ri becomes the fourth weightlifter, and the first woman, to win three Asian Games titles, joining Iran's Mohammad Nassiri, South Korea's Kim Tae-hyun and Iran's Behdad Salimi. No athlete has won four.

Her earlier golds came in Jakarta in 2018 at 48 kg and Hangzhou in 2023 at 49 kg. About 200 pro-Pyongyang Korean fans in red shirts waved flags and cheered every lift, and Ri, standing 140 cm tall, shed tears as her national anthem played.

"I wanted to lift my country up on these two small shoulders," she told reporters afterwards. Asked if she would move up to 53 kg to chase Olympic gold in Los Angeles, she replied simply, "Yes."