Vietnamese weightlifter breaks three world records

K'Duong and A Tieu are two Vietnamese competing in the men's 55kg weight category on Sunday.

K'Duong registered 114 kg in the last lift, one kg more than the youth world record that he set at the Asian Youth Weightlifting Championship in July 2022. He succeeded and set a new record.

A Tieu, 16, ranked second in the snatch event when he lifted 106 kg.

In the clean and jerk event, K'Duong continued to dominate when he successfully started with 132 kg. He failed to lift 144 kg on the second turn. But in the last one, he successfully lifted 144 kg, one kg more than the record he set last year.

The 17-year-old thus broke a third record for a total weight of 258 kg in the two events. He won three gold medals, while the runner-up Meetei Tomchou of India had a total weight of 234 kg and the Turkey’s Burak Aykun finished third with 227 kg.

A Tieu finished fifth overall with 222 kg, but won a silver medal in the snatch event.

The World Youth Weightlifting Championships has been held annually since 2009, for athletes between the ages of 13 and 17. And the record set by athletes at this age is called the youth world record.

K'Duong was the first male athlete to break three world records at the tournament.

Vietnam has eight representatives at the 2023 Youth Weightlifting Championship which takes place in Durres, Albania from March 25 to April 1, with 60 events, 20 weight classes divided for male and female competitors aged from 13 to 17.