North Korean’s Om Yun Chol took men's 56 kilogram weightlifting gold Sunday after joining a small group of athletes who have lifted three times their own body weight.
The previously little-known Om lifted an Olympic record 168kg in the clean and jerk, on the way to a total of 293kg.
“How can any man possibly lift 168kg? I believe the great Kim Jong-il looked over me,” Om said, referring to the North Korean leader who died in December.
“I am very happy and give thanks to our Great Leader for giving me the strength to lift this weight.”
Second place went to China’s Wu Jingbiao, who lifted 133kg in the snatch, 8kg more than Om, but collapsed as he tried the 161kg in the clean and jerk that would have given him gold.
Wu took silver with a total of 289 kg, ahead of Azerbaijan’s Valentin Hristov, whose total of 286kg was enough to win a duel for bronze with Vietnamese lifter Tran le Quoc Dien.
