Who Is Ri Song Gum, the North Korean Lifter Who Denied Mirabai Chanu Gold With a World-Record Show?

Nagoya: Indian weightlifting star Mirabai Chanu finally ended her long wait for an Asian Games medal on Wednesday, winning silver in the women’s 49kg category at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. But standing between her and gold was North Korea’s Ri Song Gum, who delivered a stunning world-record performance.

Ri, a two-time world champion, lifted a combined 215 kg—94 kg in the snatch and 121 kg in the clean and jerk—to win gold. Her performance set new world records in all three categories: snatch, clean and jerk, and total.

Who Is Ri Song Gum?
Ri Song Gum is one of North Korea’s leading female weightlifters and has already established herself as a major figure in the sport. The 2026 Asian Games title was particularly significant because it gave her a third consecutive Asian Games gold medal.

She has now joined an elite group of only four weightlifters to win three Asian Games gold medals. Her latest performance also delivered North Korea’s first gold medal of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

215 Kg: A Record-Breaking Performance
Ri produced extraordinary numbers in Nagoya:

– Snatch: 94 kg — world record
– Clean and jerk: 121 kg — world record
– Total: 215 kg — world record

Her 215 kg total was 17 kg more than Mirabai Chanu’s 198 kg. The North Korean lifter’s clean-and-jerk performance was particularly remarkable. She raised the record during the competition before successfully completing the 121 kg lift, setting a new benchmark.

Mirabai Chanu Finally Gets Her Asian Games Medal
Although gold slipped away, Mirabai Chanu achieved an important milestone of her own. The Indian lifter totalled 198 kg, combining an 87 kg snatch with a 111 kg clean and jerk, to win silver.

Chanu began the snatch section with 83 kg and then cleared 85 kg and 87 kg. She entered the clean-and-jerk stage in third position but moved into the silver-medal spot after successfully lifting 111 kg.

28-Year Wait Ends for India
Chanu’s silver also ended India’s 28-year wait for an Asian Games weightlifting medal. India’s previous medal in the sport at the Asian Games came in 1998, when Karnam Malleswari won a medal in Bangkok.

For Chanu, the medal fills one of the few remaining gaps in an already decorated career that includes an Olympic silver medal, three World Championship medals, including a world title, and multiple Commonwealth Games and Commonwealth Championship titles.

Ri Song Gum vs Mirabai Chanu: The Final Result
Lifter| Country| Snatch| Clean & Jerk| Total| Medal
Ri Song Gum| North Korea| 94 kg| 121 kg| 215 kg| 🥇 Gold
Mirabai Chanu| India| 87 kg| 111 kg| 198 kg| 🥈 Silver
Luluk Diana Tri Wijayana| Indonesia| —| —| 191 kg| 🥉 Bronze

Ri Song Gum’s record-breaking 215 kg performance secured the gold, while Mirabai Chanu’s 198 kg earned her India’s first Asian Games weightlifting medal since 1998. For Mirabai, the Asian Games medal drought is finally over. For Ri Song Gum, Nagoya became another chapter in a record-breaking career.