WEIGHTLIFTING: China dominating IWF World Champs

China's World Champion Wangli Zhang (Photo: IWF)

It’s still not a fair comparison since the Eastern European teams which caused so much grief for the International Weightlifting Federation are not yet allowed to be at full strength, but China is making a statement at the 2018 World Championships in Ashgabat (TKM).

China had battled with Russia for the most medals in the total lift categories in prior Worlds; for example, in 2013, Russia scored 11 medals (six gold) to China’s 10 (also six gold). In 2014, on the strength of its women’s team, China led the medal count with 11 (5-2-4) to seven for North Korea and six each for Russia and Kazakhstan. And in 2015, after all of the doping disqualifications, China won 10 medals to Russia’s seven.

Forget about the limited-entry 2017 event. In 2018, there’s no contest. The Chinese have 16 medals (6-6-4) and are way ahead of the table, with Thailand second at five and no one else with more than three. Russia is limited to just a couple of entries, but even so, Chinese men have not only won three golds, but have set World Records in all three classes, and the Chinese women have three golds and World Records in two of those weight classes.

That says they’ll be tough to beat even when a full Russian team is able to compete again. And thanks to the expansion of the weight classes from eight to 10 in each gender, there are still four more competitions to go.

For the U.S., Jenny Arthur barely missed a medal in the 81 kg class, missing her final lift of 138 kg in the Clean & Jerk. That was the only lift she lift she missed and she finished with a total of 241 kg, just one short of Ecuador’s Tamara Salazar (242). At just 24, Arthur has a bright future ahead of her.

The parade of world records at the 2018 World – caused in significant part because of the changes in weight classes from eight to 10 – is slowing in Ashagat. Through eight of 10 classes in both the men’s and women’s program, there are 20 new men’s records and 31 women’s records:

Men’s 55 kg:
Yun Chol Om (PRK) Clean & Jerk: 162 kg

Men’s 61 kg:
Eko Irawan (INA) Clean & Jerk: 174 kg
Irawan Total: 313 kg
Irawan Total: 317 kg

Men’s 67 kg:
Lijun Chen (CHN) Total: 332 kg

Men’s 73 kg:
Zhiyong Shi (CHN) Snatch: 161 kg
Shi Snatch: 164 kg
Shi Clean & Jerk: 196 kg
Shi Total: 352 kg
Shi Total: 360 kg

Men’s 81 kg:
Xiaojun Lyu (CHN) Snatch: 172 kg
Mohamed Ihab Mahmoud (EGY) Snatch: 173 kg
Mahmoud Total: 369 kg
Mahmoud Total: 373 kg
Lyu Total: 374 kg

Men’s 89 kg: none

Men’s 96 kg:
Sohrab Moradi (IRI) Snatch: 186 kg
Tao Tian (CHN) Clean & Jerk: 226 kg
Moradi Clean & Jerk: 230 kg
Moradi Total: 409 kg
Moradi Total: 416 kg

Men’s 102 kg: none

Women’s 49 kg:
Huihua Jiang (CHN) Snatch: 92 kg
Sopita Tanasan (THA) Snatch: 93 kg
Chayuttra Pramongkhol (THA) Clean & Jerk: 120 kg
Zhihui Hou (CHN) Total: 205 kg
Jiang Total: 206 kg
Hou Total: 208 kg
Pramongkhol Total: 209 kg

Women’s 55 kg:
Yajun Li (CHN) Snatch: 100 kg
Sukanya Srisurat (THA) Snatch: 101 kg
Li Snatch: 102 kg
Srisurat Snatch: 103 kg
Srisurat Snatch: 105 kg
Srisurat Clean & Jerk: 127 kg
Li Total: 223 kg
Srisurat Total: 227 kg
Srisurat Total: 230 kg
Srisurat Total: 232 kg

Women’s 59 kg:
Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE) Snatch: 105 kg
Kuo Clean & Jerk: 132 kg
Guiming Chen (CHN) Clean & Jerk: 133 kg
Kuo Total: 233 kg
Kuo Total: 237 kg

Women’s 64 kg:
Wei Deng (CHN) Snatch: 112 kg
Deng Clean & Jerk: 140 kg
Deng Total: 247 kg
Deng Total: 250 kg
Deng Total: 252 kg

Women’s 71 kg:
Wangli Zhang (CUB) Clean & Jerk: 148 kg
Zhang Clean & Jerk: 152 kg
Zhang Total: 263 kg
Zhang Total: 267 kg

Women’s 76 kg: none

Women’s 81 kg: none

As weightlifting tries to recover from the doping scandals which have pushed it to the edge of being removed from the 2024 Olympic program in Paris, it’s interesting to see if athletes from either of the last two World Championships were able to repeat. The 2017 Worlds in Anaheim was quite clean in terms of doping, as nine nations were excluded completely. The 2015 Worlds in Houston had 24 positives and almost cost weightlifting its place in the Olympics. Repeaters from these two events in 2018:

2017: Anaheim
Men 94 kg: Sohrab Moradi (IRI) (Won at 96 kg)
Men 105 kg: Ali Hashemi (IRI) (Won at 102 kg)
Women 59 kg: Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE) (Won at 58 kg)
Women: 75 kg: Lidia Valentin (ESP) (Won at 81 kg)

2015: Houston
Men 55 kg: Yun Chol Om (PRK) (Won at 56 kg)
Men 67 kg: Lijun Chen (CHN) (Won at 62 kg)
Men 73 kg: Zhiyong Shi (CHN) (Won at 69 kg)
Men 85 kg: Artem Okulov (RUS) (Won at 89 kg)
Women 63 kg: Wei Deng (CHN) (Won at 64 kg)

Among the men, 2018 marked the fourth World Championship for 2012 Olympic winner Om, the third for Chen and second for Shi, Okulov, Moradi and Hashemi. For the women, Deng won her fourth world title, Kuo won her third and Valentin won her second.

The 2018 Worlds wrap up this weekend; summaries so far:

IWF World Championships
Ashgabat (TKM) ~ 2-11 November 2018
(Full results here)

Men

55 kg: 1. Yun Chol Om (PRK), 282 kg total combined weight; 2. Arli Chontey (KAZ), 258 kg: 3. Mirco Scaratino (ITA), 252 kg; 4. Young-Ho Kim (KOR), 251 kg; 5. Josue Brachi Garcia (ESP), 250 kg; 6. Angel Rusev (BUL), 248 kg; 7. Sergio Massidda (ITA), 236 kg; 8. Muammer Sahin (TUR), 235 kg.

61 kg: 1. Eko Yuli Irawan (INA), 317 kg; 2. Fabin Li (CHN), 310 kg; 3. Fulin Qin (CHN), 308 kg; 4. Francisco Mosqueda (COL), 304 kg; 5. Kim Tuan Thach (VIE), 298 kg; 6. Adkhamjon Ergashev (UZB), 293 kg; 7. Shofa Mishvelidze (GEO), 293 kg; 8. Yoichi Itokazu (JPN), 292 kg.

67 kg: 1. Lijun Chen (CHN), 332 kg; 2. Minhao Huang (CHN), 323 kg; 3. Julio Mayora (VEN), 322 kg; 4. Doston Yokubov (UZB), 319 kg; 5. Oscar Figueroa (COL), 318 kg; 6. Jong Ju Pak (PRK), 315 kg; 7. Goga Chkheidze (GEO), 311 kg; 8. Deni (INA), 310 kg. Also: 18. Alex Lee (USA), 292 kg.

73 kg: 1. Zhiyong Shi (CHN), 360 kg; 2. Jeongsik Won (KOR), 348; 3. Vadzim Likharad (BLR), 343 kg; 4. Chong Song Ri (PRK), 342 kg; 5. Kang Chol O (PRK), 339 kg; 6. Briken Calja (ALB), 339 kg; 7. Karem Ben Hnia (TUN), 337 kg. Also: 10. Clarence Cummings Jr. (USA), 335 kg.

81 kg: 1. Xiaojun Lyu (CHN), 374 kg; 2. Mohamed Ihab Mahmoud (EGY), 373 kg; 3. Dayin Li (CHN), 372 kg; 4. Rejepbay Rejepov (TKM), 363 kg; 5. Petr Asayonak (BLR), 357 kg; 6. Harrison Maurus (USA), 357 kg; 7. Nico Mueller (GER), 348 kg; 8. Safaa Aljumaili (IRQ), 346 kg.

89 kg: 1. Artem Okulov (RUS), 372 kg; 2. Pavel Khadasevich (BLR), 371; 3. Revaz Davitadze (GEO), 371; 4. Brayan Rodallegas COL), 370 kg; 5. Arley Mendez (CHI), 369 kg; 6. Keydomar Vallenilla (VEN), 369 kg; 7. Hakob Mkrtchyan (ARM), 365 kg; 8. Jhor Moreno (COL), 363 kg.

96 kg: 1. Sohrab Moradi (IRI), 416 kg; 2. Tao Tian (CHN), 407 kg; 3. Nicolae Onica (ROU), 391 kg; 4. Yauheni Tsikhantsou (BLR), 390 kg; 5. Fares Elbakh (QAT), 388 kg; 6. Sarat Sumpradit (THA), 384 kg; 7. Boady Santavy (CAN), 383 kg; 8. Anton Pliesnoi (GEO), 379 kg. Also: 20. Jason Bonnick (USA), 353 kg; … 24. Nathan Damron (USA), 343 kg.

102 kg: 1. Ali Hashemi (IRI), 396 kg; 2. Dmytro Chumak (UKR), 393 kg; 3. Reza Beiralvand (IRI), 393 kg; 4. Akbar Djuraev (UZB), 392 kg; 5. Irakli Chkheidze (GEO0, 376 kg; 6. Kostiantyn Reva (UKR), 373 kg; 7. Maksim Sheiko (RUS), 367 kg; 8. Matej Kovac (SVK), 361 kg.

Women

45 kg: 1. Thunya Sukcharoen (THA), 186 kg; 2. Yulduz Dzhumbayeva (TKM), 179 kg; 3. Chiraphan Nanthawong (THA), 171 kg; 4. Katherin Echandia Zarate (VEN), 157 kg; 5. Alessandra Pagliaro (ITA), 156 kg; 6. Thi Thu Trang Nguyen (VIE), 151 kg; 7. Daniela Padvova (BUL), 141 kg; only entrants,

49 kg: 1. Chayuttra Pramongkhol (THA), 209 kg; 2. Zhihui Hou (CHN), 208 kg; 3. Huihua Jiang (CHN), 206 kg; 4. Sopita Tanasan (THA), 201 kg; 5. Elena-Ramona Andries (ROU), 188 kg; 6. Beatriz Piron Candelario (DOM), 187 kg; 7. Sri Wahyuni Agustiani (INA), 186 kg; 8. Thi Huyen Vuong (VIE), 183 kg. Also: 12. Alyssa Richey (USA), 178 kg.

55 kg: 1. Sukanya Srisurat (THA), 232 kg; 2. Yajun Li (CHN), 225 kg; 3. Wanqiong Zhang (CHN), 225 kg; 4. Cristina Iovu ((ROU), 220 kg; 5. Zulfiya Chinshanlo (KAZ), 213 kg; 6. Muattar Nabieva (UZB), 212 kg; 7. Nouha Landoulsi (TUN), 211 kg; 8. Kristina Shermatova (TKM), 210 kg. Also: 15. Jourdan Delacruz (USA), 198 kg; … 20. Caitlin Hogan (USA), 191 kg.

59 kg: 1. Hsing-Chun Kuo (TPE), 237 kg; 2. Guiming Chen (CHN), 231 kg; 3. Rebeka Koha (LAT), 227 kg; 4. Pimsiri Sirikaew (THA), 225 kg; 5. Mikiko Sirikaew (THA), 225 kg; 6. Thi Duyen Hoang (VIE), 223 kg; 7. Chineye Fedelis (NGR), 215 kg; 8. Acchedya Jagaddhita (INA), 212 kg. Also: 12. Jessica Lucero (USA), 204 kg.

64 kg: 1. Wei Deng (CHN), 252 kg; 2. Un Sim Rim (PRK), 239 kg; 3. Rattanawan Wamalun (HA), 239 kg; 4. Tzu-Chi LIN (TPE), 235 kg; 5. Loredana-Elena Toma (ROU), 234 kg; 6. Mercedes Perez (COL), 232 kg; 7. Assem Sadykova (KAZ), 226 kg; 8. Karina Goricheva (KAZ), 224 kg. Also: 15. Mattie Sasser (USA), 218 kg; … 22. Hunter Elam (USA), 207 kg.

71 kg: 1. Wangli Zhang (CHN), 267 kg; 2. Sara Ahmed (EGY), 252 kg; 3. Nadezda Likhacheva (KAZ), 242 kg; 4. Anastasiia Romanova (RUS), 240 kg; 5. Mattie Rogers (USA), 238 kg; 6. Meredith Alwine (USA), 233 kg; 7. Mari Sanchez (COL), 228 kg; 8. Jennifer Cantu (MEX), 216 kg.

76 kg: 1. Zhouyu Wang (CHN), 270 kg; 2. Jong Sim Rim (PRK), 269 kg; 3. Neisi Dajomes (ECU), 259 kg; 4. Leidy Solis (COL), 256 kg; 5. Aremi Fuentes (MEX), 247 kg; 6. Gaelle Nayo (FRA), 243 kg; 7. Ayumi Kamiya (JPN), 225 kg; 8. Kristel Ngaelem (CAN), 223 kg.

81 kg: 1. Lidia Valentin (ESP), 249 kg; 2. Darya Naumava (BLR), 245 kg; 3. Tamara Salazar (ECU), 242 kg; 4. Jenny Arthur (USA), 241 kg; 5. Dayana Chirinos (VEN), 231 kg; 6. Iryna Dekha (UKR), 226 kg; 7. Anacarmen Torres Wong (MEX), 226 kg; 8. Alejandra Garza (MEX), 225 kg.