Bahrain, Women’s preview: Six world record holders can take PRK top of medals table again

PRK’s formidable women’s team looks likely to dominate at the IWF World Championships in Bahrain, which starts next Friday and runs for 10 days.

Since returning from a four-year absence after the Covid pandemic, PRK has been the top team at the Asian Games, Qatar Grand Prix, Asian Championships and IWF World Cup. But not at the Olympic Games four months ago in Paris, where PRK was ineligible.

Four of the five women’s champions in Paris, including all three from China, are taking a well-deserved break and will not be in Bahrain.

All six current world record holders in PRK’s maximum team of 10 should be strong challengers for gold. At the five lightest weight categories up to 64kg, PRK athletes set 22 senior world records in less than a year, plus 14 junior world records. It could be that the only anthem played at a women’s session in the first half of the Championships will be PRK’s.

Won Hyon Sim (PRK)

If there is to be a surprise, it might come at 45kg where Won Hyon Sim holds all three world records on 87-109-196. One of the newcomers in a “second-choice” China team, Zhao Jinhong, totalled 198kg at a national competition last year.  

Ri Song Gum, who made her international debut more than 10 years ago as a 16-year-old, set seven world records at 49kg in eight months. Her winning total of 221kg at the World Cup in Thailand in April was 15kg more than China’s Hou Zhihui made for victory in Paris.

The main target for Ri Song Gum in Bahrain may be the snatch world record, which she needs for a full set of three. Hou set it at 97kg when she was beaten by Ri in Phuket in April.

Ri Song Gum (PRK)

PRK fields two top contenders at 64kg, Ri Suk and Rim Un Sim. Deng Wei’s long-standing snatch and total world records, 117kg and 261kg respectively, could be challenged by Ri Suk, who at 21 is seven years younger than Rim.

Ri Suk claimed one senior and seven junior world records in 2023, her last year as a junior. Her best performance came a year ago at the Qatar Grand Prix, where she broke the clean and jerk world record and finished 1kg short of Deng Wei’s mark on total.

Kang Hyon Gyong at 55kg and Kim Il Gyong at 59kg hold world records, as does Song Kuk Hyang at 71kg. Song goes up to 76kg to avoid taking on Olympic champion Olivia Reeves, who beat her last time.

Reeves, from the United States, is the only Paris champion lifting in the women’s events. She finished ahead of rivals from China and PRK – the first American ever to do so – in Phuket before winning in France. A world title to go with her Olympic gold would give Reeves very strong credentials for the IWF’s World Weightlifter of the Year award.

Olivia Reeves (USA)

The Chinese athlete behind Reeves in that Phuket session, Liao Guifang, did not make China’s Olympic team and is up to 81kg in Bahrain. The PRK lifter at 71kg with Reeves is Jong Chun Hui, who has competed four times at 76kg despite never weighing more than 71.51kg.

Egypt’s double Olympic medallist Sara Samir will take on Liao Guifang at 81kg, where PRK’s hopes rest with Kim Kyong Ryong, who has not been seen in international competition since 2019.

Sara Samir (EGY)

Eileen Cikamatana from Australia, fourth at 81kg in Paris, lifts at 87kg this time. She has competed at this weight twice before, in 2022, when she won Commonwealth Games gold and World Championships silver. Kim Yong Ju, whose best total is 258kg, is the heaviest athlete is PRK’s team while China fields two at this weight, 18-year-old Xu Linyue and Wu Yan, who has made 265kg in a national competition.

The super-heavyweight silver and bronze medallists in Paris, Park Hyejeong from Korea and Emily Campbell from Great Britain, are both in action. Paris champion Li Wenwen is absent but China will loom large again for Park and Campbell, in the shape of international debutant Li Yan. Li has the highest entry total on 300kg and made a career-best 145-165-310 in a national championship last year.

Eileen Cikamatana (AUS)

Colombia has plenty of chances in a maximum team of 10, including Yenny Alvarez, Ingrid Segura, Mari Sanchez and Miyareth Mendoza, but winning gold will be tough. If Reeves, Samir and Cikamatana are not at their best, there is a possibility of Asian women winning all 10 world titles. That has not happened this century.

By Brian Oliver