At the 2018 Weightlifting World Championships there have been plenty of solid performances, but arguably none have been more perfect than Chinese weightlifter Shi Zhiyong’s. He swept gold in the -73kg weight class and claimed/set three new Weightlifting World Records.
Currently, the 2018 Weightlifting World Championships are taking place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and started on November 1st and run through November 10th. Check out this article if you’re interested in tuning in live and watching the final four days.
For the snatch, Zhiyong went 3/3 and opened with 158kg, which was a lift that was the heaviest snatch out of all the -73kg competitors. On his second attempt, Zhiyong went for 161kg and completed it with no problem, then moved up to 164kg for his third. This 164kg attempt earned Zhiyong a gold medal in the snatch (by 8kg) and a new Weightlifting World Record.
To top it off, he made it look incredibly smooth — check it out below.
For the clean & jerk, Zhiyong opened his attempts with a strong 188kg. On his second attempt, Zhiyong called for 196kg on the bar to top South Korea’s Won Jeongsik’s third 195kg attempt by 1kg. Zhiyong opted to pass on his third attempt. Similar to his third snatch attempt, this lift earned Zhiyong a gold in the clean & jerk and a new Weightlifting World Record.
On top of the gold medal, the 196kg clean & jerk also awarded Zhiyong with a new -73kg Weightlifting World Record Total of 360kg. This 360kg total mirrors almost the exact number Zhiyong hit at the 2018 Chinese Weightlifting Nationals in April. At Chinese Nationals, he hit a 163kg snatch and a 197kg clean & jerk.
The Chinese weightlifting team hasn’t made an appearance at the Weightlifting World Championships since 2015. After watching Zhiyong’s epic performance, it’s safe to say their team is back in a big way and Zhiyong is looking stronger than ever.
Feature image from @gothicstrength Instagram page.Â