Weightlifting world records surpassed at China's National Games

Shi Zhiyong of Zhejiang celebrates after winning gold in the men's 73kg weightlifting competition at China's 14th National Games in Weinan, Shaanxi Province, Sept. 22, 2021. (Xinhua/Bei He)

Six weightlifting world records have been surpassed in six days of competition at China's 14th National Games.

XI'AN, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- Shi Zhiyong came under the limelight in the weightlifting arena at China's 14th National Games on Wednesday by surpassing world records in the snatch and total in the men's 73kg category.

Representing Zhejiang, Shi lifted 170kg in the snatch en route to a 365kg total, both exceeding his own world records by one kilogram.

After winning a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, 27-year-old Shi only had three weeks of systematic training before turning to the National Games, and needed acupuncture for treatment.

"Actually I was not feeling quite well today, but before the event people always asked you, 'when can you break the record again?' I had to exceed my limit," Shi explained, adding that he planned to again challenge his own records at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Shi's feat was not rare at the ongoing Games, which has witnessed six weightlifting world records surpassed after six competition days going into Wednesday's event.

Olympic champion Hou Zhihui from Hunan kicked off the weightlifting competition on September 16 by achieving a new national record of 214kg in the women's 49kg category, also exceeding the world record of 213kg she set at the Asian Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan in April.

Hou Zhihui of Hunan in action in the women's 49kg weightlifting competition at China's 14th National Games, Sept. 16, 2021. (Xinhua/Bei He)

"It's more difficult to win the National Games title than the Olympic Games," Hou said.

"Weightlifters compete here at a high level, which has pushed me to challenge myself. I'm happy with my breakthrough," she added.

Two days later in the women's 76kg event, Xiang Yanmei from Hunan surpassed the clean and jerk world record with 157kg, and Peng Cuiting from Guangdong exceeded the snatch world record with a new national record of 125kg.

After winning Olympic gold at Rio in 2016, Xiang initially retired, but decided to return shortly afterwards. Competing in her fourth National Games, Xiang thanked her coaches and teammates for encouraging her to bounce back.

"People doubted me when I made a comeback, but they made me feel more confident. And I had no regrets about these Games," she said.

In the men's 61kg, Jia Xionghui from Beijing lifted 147kg in the snatch, exceeding Olympic gold medalist Li Fabin's world record of 145kg set at the 2019 Asian Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.

But Jia failed to continue his form in the clean and jerk with no successful lifts, seeing Li stand atop the podium with a total of 311kg.