Ri Won-ju Won Asian Games Weightlifting Gold
North Korean athlete Ri Won-ju claimed the 70kg weightlifting gold medal in Nagoya.
Updated on Sept. 27, 2026 in Body Building
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North Korean weightlifter Ri Won-ju secured the men's 70kg gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games held in Nagoya. He recorded a total lift of 349kg, finishing ahead of competitors from Japan and the Philippines.
Why it matters
This victory marks a significant achievement for North Korea, which has now secured all five of its gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games exclusively through its weightlifting team.
Ri Won-ju achieved a 151kg snatch and a 198kg clean and jerk to reach his 349kg total. In the 75kg category, Rahmat Erwin Abdullah secured gold with a total of 366kg.
The players
Ri Won-ju
He is a North Korean weightlifter who won the men's 70kg gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games.
Masanori Miyamoto
He is a Japanese weightlifter who secured the silver medal in the 70kg category with a total lift of 342kg.
Albert Ian Delos Santos
He is a Filipino weightlifter who took the bronze medal in the 70kg class with a 324kg total.
Rahmat Erwin Abdullah
He is an Indonesian weightlifter who earned the men's 75kg gold medal.
Ri Chong-song
He is a North Korean weightlifter who won the bronze medal in the 75kg category.
The details
Ri Won-ju clinched the gold after successfully lifting 151kg in his third snatch attempt and 198kg in his third clean and jerk attempt. The event took place at the Nagoya Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Center.
Timeline
The men's 70kg and 75kg weightlifting finals occurred on September 26, 2026.
Season Trajectory
This performance reinforces North Korea's reliance on weightlifting as its primary source of gold medals at the 2026 Asian Games. The results continue to shape the regional standing and overall medal tally for the competing nations.
Ri Won-ju's 349kg total eclipsed silver medalist Masanori Miyamoto by 7kg, effectively deciding the podium placement. The event also highlighted volatility in the 75kg category, where Son Hyeon-ho failed to record a successful snatch.
The takeaway
Success in high-level weightlifting requires consistent performance across both the snatch and clean and jerk phases of competition. Ri Won-ju secured his gold by successfully landing his final attempts in both movements.
Further reading
For more news on recent athletic performance, visit the Body Building section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Korea Times.
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