Park Hye-jeong Wins Olympic Weightlifting Silver in Super Heavyweight... New Korean Record [Paris Olympics]

‘Post Jang Miran’ Park Hye-jeong (21, Goyang City Hall) won a silver medal while setting a new Korean record in her first Olympic appearance.

On the 11th (Korean time), Park Hye-jeong lifted 131 kg in the snatch at the women's over 81 kg weightlifting event held at South Paris Arena 6 in Paris, France, during the 2024 Paris Olympics. In the subsequent clean and jerk, Park lifted 168 kg, securing the silver medal with a total of 299 kg.

Park Hye-jung lifting a barbell. [Source=Yonhap News]

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That day, Park Hye-jeong consecutively lifted 123 kg in her first snatch attempt, 127 kg in her second, and 131 kg in her third, ranking second in this category.

She was outlifted by the ‘world’s strongest’ Li Wenwen (China), who lifted 136 kg in the snatch, but surpassed third-place Emily Campbell (United Kingdom), who lifted 126 kg, by 5 kg.

Park successfully lifted 163 kg in her first clean and jerk attempt and 168 kg in her second.

China’s Li Wenwen lifted 136 kg in the snatch to take first place. Li also lifted the heaviest clean and jerk at 173 kg, securing the gold medal with a total of 309 kg.

Park Hye-jeong attempted 173 kg in her third clean and jerk, surpassing the Korean record of 170 kg, but unfortunately failed. Ultimately, Park finished second with a total of 299 kg.

This is a new Korean record, surpassing her previous 130 kg lift at the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup women’s super heavyweight event (then over 87 kg) held in Phuket, Thailand, last April, as well as the 130 kg standard set by the Korea Weightlifting Federation as the women’s super heavyweight benchmark when the IWF reorganized weight classes in 2018.

A representative from the Korea Weightlifting Federation stated, “Since the IWF recognizes both the over 81 kg and over 87 kg categories as ‘super heavyweight records,’ Park Hye-jeong’s record in the over 81 kg category at this Olympics is acknowledged as the ‘super heavyweight Korean record.’”

This is the first time in 12 years that South Korea has won a medal in the women’s super heavyweight weightlifting category since Jang Miran, now Vice Minister of the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, won bronze at the 2012 London Games.

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