sports

Jo Son Il (pictured), weightlifter of the Pyongyang Sports Club, set a new national record in the men’s over 109kg category jerk at the weightlifting event of the national championships held in September this year. 

Jo began to learn weightlifting at juvenile sports school of remote mountainous Puryong County in North Hamgyong Province. It was in 2014 that he started his playing career at the Pyongyang Sports Club. 

At that time, he hardened his resolve to become an excellent weightlifter who would glorify the country with gold medals. 

He steadily honed his skills under the guidance of his coach Kim Myong Jung. 

“Sometimes I slumped on the training ground due to the difficult training which involved the countless lifting of heavy weights a day. Then I would stand up again, remembering my initial decision,” recalled Jo. 

He persistently trained to flawlessly carry out detailed movements from yank to lifting.  

“Even after his daily training was over, Jo did additional training in accordance with his own plan and tried to improve his poor skills with the help of his colleagues,” said Kim. 

Jo’s technical skills thus improved day by day and he started to cut a conspicuous figure in domestic games held in 2019. 

Jo, who emerged as an ace in heavyweight category, broke national records two times in the over 109kg category jerk at the weightlifting event of the games held this year, drawing the attention of experts and spectators. 

He is engrossed in training to attain a higher goal in order to realize his dream of becoming an athlete who supports the country with gold medals.