Shi Zhiyong won gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after setting a world record in the 73kg category.
The Olympics is a time for athletes to showcase their skills on the biggest stage while competing for their country. That is exactly what Chinese weightlifter Shi Zhiyong has been doing during these games. On Wednesday, Zhiyong won the gold medal in the Men’s 73kg category and set a new world record by lifting a total of 364kg (802.4lb).
Shi Zhiyong grabbed the fourth gold medal of China in weightlifting. You Zhihui (49kg), Li Fabin (61kg), and Chen Lijun (67kg) have all come out on top in their respective categories. Zhiyong joined them with yet another record performance. He previously held the Olympic record from his performance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Zhiyong began his performance with a 166kg snatch. He currently holds the world record of 169kg but did not attempt to break it here. Zhiyong followed that up by going for the world record of 198kg in the clean and jerk. This is a record he already set at 192kg during the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships. Zhiyong successfully performed the lift and this also clinched the overall world record.
View this post on Instagram
Venezuela’s Julio Reben Mayora Pernia took home the silver medal but finished an eye-popping 18kg behind Zhiyong. Indonesia’s Rahmat Abdullah too home the bronze medal as a competitor in the Group B session. USA’s CJ Cummings attempted a 198kg clean and jerk that would have landed him in third place but the lift was failed.
Shi Zhiyong continues to rack up the medals. Since 2012, Zhiyong has totaled 10 gold medals in International competition. He was won four golds at the Asian Championships and three at the World Championships. Zhiyong also won gold at the IWF World Cup in 2019 and Olympic Games in 2016 and 2020.
At 27 years old, Zhiyong has plenty left in the tank to keep competing internationally moving forward. The sport of weight lifting is in a good place when looking at the young talent and that includes Mayora and Cummings. All other competitors have been vying for the top spot that has been held by Zhiyong for years now. He has not been defeated in international competition since his debut back in 2012.
Shi Zhiyong is now a two-time defending champion at the Olympic Games. With the competition being held in Paris in 2024, Zhiyong will have a chance to defend his title once again.
For more news and updates, follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
