The men’s 71kg final delivered one of the most thrilling sessions in recent memory, with the top four lifters all breaking world records, reports the Bangkok Post. Wichuma’s final lift of 194kg secured a total of 346kg, edging out Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto by a single kilogram and sealing Thailand’s sensational victory.
The session’s intensity peaked as four lifters vied for the podium in the final lifts. Miyamoto briefly took the lead with 193kg, only to be overtaken by Wichuma’s 194kg. Turkey’s Yusuf Fehmi Genc gambled on 192kg, which gave him a fleeting second place before he was pushed down to fourth.
Ri Won Ju of North Korea nearly stole the show despite injuring his knee. He returned to lift 195kg but lost balance at the top, turning a potential gold into fifth place. His courage drew admiration from the crowd.
In the women’s 63kg, North Korea’s Ri Suk dominated with four world records, finishing 17kg ahead of Canada’s Olympic medallist Maude Charron. Ri’s total of 253kg included new marks in snatch, clean and jerk, and total, though she still trails the historic 262kg set by China’s Deng Wei in 2016.
Charron, 32, broke her own mental barrier by lifting 133kg in clean and jerk, her best ever. “It must be the Norwegian air,” the Canadian joked, praising the host city where she had previously trained and competed.
Colombia’s Yenny Sinisterra and the Philippines’ Elreen Ando both finished with 231kg, but Sinisterra took bronze by virtue of lifting it first. Americans Sophia Shaft and Katie Estep followed closely in fifth and sixth.
The championships continue with North Korean aiming for a clean sweep in the women’s categories, as Song Kuk Hyang is favoured to win the 69kg event earlier this week.