sports

The DPRK weightlifters held ten world records in women’s body-weight categories and two world records in men’s body-weight categories in a little over three months, with the result that the DPRK has topped the country standings in retaining world records.

Since the International Weightlifting Federation decided to hold new body-weight events from June 2025, DPRK weightlifters have set new world records successively in every international game starting from the world championships held in Norway last October.

Song Kuk Hyang and Ri Suk lifted 120kg and 111kg in the snatch, 150kg and 142kg in the clean and jerk and 270kg and 253kg in total in the women's 69kg and 63kg categories respectively, retaining all three world records of these weight categories.

Ri Song Gum and O Kwang Ok respectively lifted 122kg and 133kg in the clean and jerk and 213kg and 238kg in total in the women’s 48kg and 58kg categories, breaking two world records respectively.

These ten world records set by DPRK women weightlifters exceed 80 percent of the total number of world records broken at present among the standard records (24) that the International Weightlifting Federation has newly set.

Meanwhile, the DPRK team took the first place in the standings of world record-holding in men's weightlifting, too, as Ro Kwang Ryol and Ri Chong Song broke world records in the clean and jerk of the 88kg category and in total of the 79kg category respectively.