China's Chen topples Kim to win weightlifting world title

China's Chen Lijun set a double world record on Sunday to win the 62kg weightlifting world title, toppling defending champion Kim Un-Guk.

Chen was assured of the gold medal with a lift to spare when North Korea's Kim failed to make 179kg in the clean and jerk.

Kim, the 2012 Olympic and 2014 world champion, finished 4kg short of his world record with a total of 328kg.

Chen, 22, who also beat Kim in the 2013 world championships, went for a final attempt at 183kg. He made it to set a world mark for clean and jerk and for a total lift of 333kg.

"I give him my special congratulations," the 27-year-old Kim said, while Chen was already looking ahead to the 2016 Rio Olympics, saying it would be his dream to break the record again there.

Kim and Chen are likely to be pressed in Rio by Azerbaijan's Valentin Hristov, who finished third in the snatch, clean and jerk and total.

In the women’s 53kg, Hsu Shu-ching of Taiwan won gold with her final lift, relegating China’s Chen Xiaoting to total silver.

Chen Xiaoting led by 5kg after the snatch but appeared to be in trouble after missing her first two attempts at 120kg in the clean and jerk.

Chen made her third attempt and Hsu, who holds the world record for total lift of 233kg, had to lift 125kg to win on body weight after both totalled 221.

Hidilyn Diaz of the Philippines was third in the snatch, clean and jerk and total.

Source: AFP