China add two world records at Almaty 2015

Chinese powerlifters Jixiong Ye and Yujiao Tan set China’s second and third world records of the 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Tuesday (28 July), completing a masterful display in their respective events.

Ye (226kg) cleared all three lifts on his way to gold in the men’s up to 88kg, before setting the 230kg record in the fourth round. The 22-year-old added 0.5kg onto the previous world mark of Iranian silver medallist Seyedhamed Solhipourvanji (220kg).

Sodnompilijee Enkhbayar (205kg) claimed Mongolia’s first medal of the competition with bronze.

Ye’s compatriot, world champion Yujiao Tan, was also in record-breaking form in the women’s up to 67kg. A third round lift of 137.5kg saw Tan add 0.5kg to her own best from the Incheon 2014 Asian Para Games.

Raushan Koishibayeva (106kg) sealed Kazakhstan’s highest finish so far with silver, leading South Korean Hyoeong Hui Kim (102kg) onto the podium.

Twenty-year-old Iraqi Gharam Al Osmanee also set a new junior world record, registering 88kg.

Cuijian Xiao continued a great day for China, breaking the women’s up to 55kg Asian record with a 118kg haul.

Nigerian Esther Oyema won gold in 2013 but did not enjoy the same form in Almaty, peaking in the first round with a 117kg lift.

Russia’s Tamara Podpalynaya (115kg) secured Open bronze ahead of Vietnam’s Hoang Tuyet Loan Chau (102kg) who took Asian silver. Ya-Hsuan Lin (79kg) completed the Asian podium for Chinese Taipei.

There was also delight for 18-year-old Iraqi Zahra Al-Maliki who lifted a new junior world record of 74kg to continue her promising form, having won gold in 2013 in the weight category below.

Nigerian Lucy Ejike (125kg) led the women’s up to 61kg Open podium, as China’s Yan Yang (120kg) set a new Asian record to take Asian gold. Yang’s teammate Jianjin Cui (116kg) secured the Asian silver and Open bronze. The UAE’s Maryam Alzeyoudi (40kg) rounded off the Asian top three.

Iran’s Majid Farzin (234kg) completed three good lifts to take gold in the men’s up to 80kg, beating reigning Chinese world champion Xiao Fei Gu (223kg).

Gu could only manage one successful lift in the first round, which was 2kg less than Farzin’s opening attempt. Russian Alexander Belov (181kg) rounded off the Open podium, as Kazakhstan picked up their latest medal thanks to Nodarzhan Khamrullayev (173kg) who claimed Asian bronze.

At the end of day three, China extend their lead at the top of the medals table to 12, including six gold, four silver and two bronze. Nigeria remain second with three gold and three silver medals, whilst Iran move to third place two gold and two silver medals.

The Almaty 2015 IPC Powerlifting Asian Open Championships will run until 30 July and feature more than 220 athletes from 32 countries in one of the biggest Asian Championships ever.

Live results and coverage are available at Almaty2015.com and updates and news published at IPC Powerlifting Facebook and Powerlifting Twitter.

Following Almaty 2015, powerlifters will head to the IPC Powerlifting European Open Championships in Eger, Hungary, from 24-28 November.