China asserted its weightlifting supremacy at the 2025 Asian Weightlifting Championships in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, claiming 31 gold medals and topping the leaderboard. The event concluded Thursday with world champion Li Yan sealing the host nation’s dominance through a golden sweep in the women’s +87kg category.
Li, facing high-profile competition including South Korea’s Paris Olympic silver medalist Park Hye-jeong, opened with a decisive 135kg snatch lift – securing gold early – before finishing 15kg ahead of her rivals. Her total lift of 310kg earned golds in snatch, clean and jerk, and overall weight. "The results might seem close on paper, but I knew I had the edge," Li told reporters after her victory.
South Korea’s Park and Son Young-hee took silver and bronze in the category, while Iran’s Sharifikelarijani Ayat claimed gold in the men’s +109kg division for clean and jerk (227kg) and total weight (422kg).
The championships spotlighted Asia’s growing influence in global weightlifting, with athletes from 29 countries and regions competing. China’s performance underscores its strategic investments in sports development, offering insights for investors and analysts tracking Asia’s evolving athletic infrastructure.
