Asian Games: Taiwan's Lin Tzu-chi sets multiple records

Taiwan's Lin Tzu-chi during the 63kg weightlifting event yesterday. Pic/AFP

Incheon (South Korea): Taiwan's Lin Tzu-chi broke two world records with her final lift to snatch gold away from China's Deng Wei in the women's 63kg at the Asian Games.


Taiwan's Lin Tzu-chi during the 63kg weightlifting event yesterday. Pic/AFP

In another extraordinary afternoon at the Moonlight Gardens weightlifting arena in Incheon, world records were erased no less than four times as Lin and Deng fought out a titanic battle.

Lin took the lead with a clean and jerk lift of 143kg for a 259kg aggregate which smashed the old world record of 257kg set back in 2007.

Deng then strode out and hoisted a world record 144kg clean and jerk, to equal Lin's total and go into gold medal position by virtue of lower bodyweight.

Lin, with one lift remaining, somehow then hauled 145kg above her head to condemn Deng to silver and set more world records for both the clean and jerk and the combined (261kg) in the process.

Lin, the 2013 Asian champion, had started the competition as favourite with Deng, a world champion at 58kg last year, regarded as an unknown quantity at 63kg after stepping up in weight.

Deng put any doubts that she would prosper in bigger company to bed with a stunning series of lifts as the North Korean challenge for once fell short with Jo Pok-Hyang filling the last podium place way behind on 247kg.