(3rd LD) (Asiad) N. Korean lifter lands gold in women's 58㎏

(ATTN: ADDS quote in para 10; RECASTS paras 11-12)
By Kim You Jin

INCHEON, Sept. 22 (Yonhap) -- North Korean lifter Ri Jong-hwa seized gold in the women's 58-kilogram division at the 2014 Asian Games on Monday.

Ri hoisted 102㎏ in the snatch and 134㎏ in the clean and jerk, altogether 236㎏ to claim the top spot on the podium, defeating her Chinese opponent Wang Shuai during their neck-and-neck competition. It was North Korea's third weightlifting gold medal in Incheon.

"I would like to report (my victory) to our leader Kim Jong-un first and foremost," said a smiling Ri during an interview after she was awarded the gold medal.

Asked whether she had been confident of winning the gold, the excited 23-year-old said that she knew she had "the guts to win."

The lifter failed to complete her third snatch attempt within the set time limit but more than redeemed herself with a strong clean and jerk. She was teary as the North Korean national anthem was played at the victory ceremony.

Ri is not an unfamiliar face on the international stage, as she grabbed a silver at the Asian Weightlifting Championship as well as a gold at the Asian Cup and Interclub Senior Weightlifting Championship, both held last year.

Wang secured the silver medal with a total of 235㎏, while Rattikan Gulnoi of Thailand came in third with 252㎏.

Kim Su-ryon, another North Korean weightlifter who failed in her attempt to claim a medal and ended in fifth place the previous day, joined other delegates of the isolated country to root for her weightlifting compatriot. Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, president of the Olympic Council of Asia, also attended the competition.

Later on Monday, another North Korean, Kim Myong-hyok, won the silver medal in the men's 69㎏ class with a total of 342㎏.

"Next time, I will train harder and attain the gold medal for sure," Kim said during an interview after the competition, adding he was somewhat disappointed that he did not fully prepare for first place on the podium.

In the beginning, Kim wowed the crowd as he lifted a 160-㎏ snatch, renewing the Asian record to set the pace of the game, but was defeated by China's Lin Qinfeng during the clean and jerk. The Chinese hoisted 184㎏ in the clean and jerk to Kim's 182㎏.

Kim lifted the same total weight as the Chinese gold medal winner, but Lin was declared the winner as the lighter lifter of the two.

North Korea has so far won three gold medals and one silver in weightlifting.

Some 150 athletes have arrived from North Korea to vie for medals in 14 sports at the 17th Asian Games. Although the country had ranked among the top 10 in medals in six Asiads since its first participation in 1974, it finished at 13th and 16th, respectively, at the 2010 and 2006 Games.

yjkim8826@yna.co.kr
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