'Goddess of weightlifting' wins first gold medal for Taiwan in Tokyo, sets three Olympic records
Kuo Hsing-chun, known as the “goddess of weightlifting,” won the first gold medal for Taiwan and set three Olympic records during her set on July 27.
Setting Olympic records: Kuo, 27, competed in the 59 kilograms (130 pounds) weightlifting event and set three Olympic records, but fell short in trying to break the world record she originally set in 2019, according to Taiwan News.
She took the gold with 103 kilograms (227 pounds) in the snatch, 133 kilograms (293 pounds) in the clean and jerk and totaled 236 kilograms (520 pounds).
The victory marked Kuo's first Olympic gold medal as she had only placed sixth in London in 2012 and earned a bronze in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.
After she won the gold medal, she set out to break her own world record at 140 kilograms (308.6 pounds) and did not complete the final lift when her legs gave out.
Kuo’s first lifts in the snatch and clean and jerk sets were higher than any other competitor’s first three attempts.
Competing against herself: She currently holds the world records in the snatch for 110 kilograms (242.5 pounds), the clean and jerk for 140 kilograms (308 pounds) and the total for 247 kilograms (544 pounds), reported BarBend.
She achieved the snatch and total world records at the 2019 Asian Championships in China and the clean and jerk world record at the 2019 IWF World Championships in Thailand.
“I was competing against myself, and I wanted to break the world record,” Kuo told reporters. “I am very happy that I put all the pieces together now, adding in the Olympic gold medal today.”
Featured Image via World Weightlifting (left), Toyota Times Global (right)
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