The 23-year-old dominated from the start, lifting 121kg in the snatch and 153kg in the clean and jerk for a combined tally of 274kg.
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Darya Naumava of Belarus took silver, her nation’s first medal of the Games, only five years after giving up shot put to become a weightlifter.
“When I saw that I secured the first place in the competition, the first thing I thought was that I made beloved Great Leader Kim Jong-Un happy and I just want to see him as soon as possible”, she said through an interpreter.
Rim Jong Sim of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea won her second Olympic gold easily in the women’s 75kg competition here on Friday, becoming the first woman to win in both 69kg and 75kg at the Olympics.
Prior to Rim’s victory, North Korea had won two silver and two bronze medals. “I am going out tonight to celebrate”.
North Korea are well behind their most successful medal haul in weightlifting at any Olympics.
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“I was very sad that my comrades did not win a gold medal”, said Rim, who won the women’s 69kg title at the 2012 Games. “As for my family, I just meet them again once I’m in North Korea, so I have nothing special to say”. She continued to lift against doctors’ advice, finished second and had to be lifted on to the podium. Valoyes, 34, had her best result in finishing fourth. “It’s for the people who come to support me and love me”, she added.
