North Korea’s Won Ju Ri won the gold in the men’s 67kg while Latvia’s Ritvars Suharevs settled the issue in the 73kg class on day four of the Qatar Cup IWF Grand Prix II.
Won Ju Ri seemed in little bother as he won with an overall lift of 317kg (139kg snatch and 178kg clean & jerk) to walk away with the top position. The 21-year-old North Korean finished ahead of Bulgaria’s Ivan Dimov (300kg, 140kg snatch, 160 clean & jerk) and Turkmenistan’s Bunyad Rashidov (298kg, 141kg, 157kg clean & jerk).
In the men’s 73kg competition, Suharevs emerged the winner with a hard-fought battle with just 1 kilo separating the scales between the top two lifters at Aspire Zone. Suharevs, 24, lifted 341kg (156kg snatch, 185kg clean & jerk) for the gold.
Veteran Chinese lifter Zhiyong Shi, 30, finished second best with an overall tally of 340kg (160kg snatch, 180kg clean & jerk). Thailand’s Weeraphon Wichuma, just 19, secured the bronze with a lift of 334kg (145kg snatch, 189kg clean & jerk)
The local organising committee of the championship and the Qatar Weightlifting Federation yesterday urged fans to witness the exciting competition at the Aspire Zone Foundation’s Women’s Gym. The tournament will be held in two sessions: morning and evening, offering an opportunity to witness the power and grace of top athletes as they vie for the title.
“Come and cheer on our very own Olympic champion, Fares Ibrahim, as he prepares to compete in the 120kg weight class on December 12th! Your presence and support will be a major boost for him and all the participating athletes,” an LOC official said.
Podium finishers pose with the officials during the Qatar Cup IWF Grand Prix II held at the Aspire Zone yesterday.