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       PHUKET: China’s Olympic gold medallist Zhihui Hou broke her own snatch world record at weightlifting’s World Cup in Phuket on Monday, before North Korean Ri Song-Gum equalled it and won the women’s 49kg competition by earning a new record total.

       Hou, who lifted 96kg in the snatch in July 2021 to win gold in Tokyo, lifted 97kg to take the lead at the World Cup, before Ri matched her effort.

       Ri lifted 124kg in clean and jerk to earn a total of 221, a new world record in the weight category, while Hou lifted 120kg and finished second with a total of 217.

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       Hou qualified for this year’s Olympics as the best performing Chinese athlete.

       Ri is not eligible for the Paris Games because North Korea entered the qualifying programme too late, the International Weightlifting Fed-er--ation (IWF) said in a statement.

       Ri, who also holds the current world record in clean and jerk having lifted 125kg at the Asian Championships in February, attempted unsuccessfully to lift 126kg.

       Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2024