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N. Korea's sister power: Rim Jong-sim wins gold in women's 75kg weightlifting

By Yonhap

Published : Aug. 26, 2018 - 18:37

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JAKARTA, (Yonhap) -- It was older sister's turn.

North Korea's Rim Jong-sim won a gold medal in dominant fashion in the women's 75-kilogram division weightlifting competition at the 18th Asian Games on Sunday, following her younger sister's victory the previous day.

North Korea's Rim Jong-sim lifts a barbell in the women's 75-kilogram division weightlifting competition at the 18th Asian Games at Jakarta International Expo Hall A in Jakarta on Aug. 26, 2018. (Yonhap) North Korea's Rim Jong-sim lifts a barbell in the women's 75-kilogram division weightlifting competition at the 18th Asian Games at Jakarta International Expo Hall A in Jakarta on Aug. 26, 2018. (Yonhap)

Rim lifted a total of 263kg to deliver North Korea's seventh weightlifting gold medal at the Jakarta-Palembang Asian Games. Omadoy Otakuziyeva of Uzbekistan took silver at 237kg, followed by Mun Min-hee of South Korea at 236kg.

Rim's gold medal follows her younger sister Un-sim's triumph in the women's 69kg division on Saturday. Un-sim also took gold easily in her weight class by lifting a total of 246kg, 13kg more than runner-up Hung Wanting of Chinese Taipei.

The older Rim entered her competition as the top favorite, having two Olympic titles under her belt. Rim won gold in the 69kg division at London 2012 and then topped the 75kg class at Rio de Janeiro 2016.

But interestingly, this was Rim's first Asiad gold. She won bronze in 75kg at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and ended up in fourth place in the 69kg event at the 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games.

Rim, a two-time world championships winner, had no rival at Jakarta International Expo Hall A in Jakarta. She was the only contestant to order above 110kg in snatch and cleared 116kg in the end, which was 6kg more than second-best performer Mun.

In the clean and jerk, Rim cleared 147kg, which was 11kg heavier than second-place Otakuziyeva's record, and sealed her first gold medal at the Asian Games.