LI Yan Lifts Big in the Women’s +87 kg at the 2025 Asian Championships

The +87 kg women’s session brought the Asian Weightlifting Championships to a commanding close, showcasing the most powerful women on the continent. With just five athletes in the field, the final day of competition delivered a fast-paced but deeply dramatic showdown that reaffirmed China’s supremacy while showing Korea’s depth and emerging contenders from Kazakhstan and Taiwan.

Final Flight of the Strongest

The +87 kg category stands apart in any weightlifting competition—it’s the heaviest, most powerful, and often most anticipated women’s session. In Jiangshan, this elite showdown was both compact and monumental. All five lifters were legitimate national champions or medal contenders, and while the field was narrow, the gap between gold and silver was anything but close.

With Olympic qualification looming and Li Wenwen’s historic standards looming in the background, all eyes were on who would rise next. China answered — decisively.

Meet the Athletes: Big Lifters, Big Reputations

• LI Yan (CHN) – A 2004-born prodigy, she recently set the junior snatch world record and came into this session with massive momentum. This was her championship to lose.
  
• PARK Hyejeong (KOR) – An experienced international athlete, Park was silver medalist at the Asian Games and a consistent 290+ lifter.
  
• SON Younghee (KOR) – A veteran in this category, Son is known for her ability to deliver big jerks under pressure.
  
• KOVALCHUK Lyubov (KAZ) – Kazakhstan’s national champion, Kovalchuk had a solid entry total but struggled with consistency.
  
• WANG Ling Chen (TPE) – A talented Taiwanese lifter still finding her rhythm on the big stage, Wang had an outside shot at the podium.

Snatch Session: LI Yan Flexes Early Dominance

The snatch round quickly turned into a showcase for China. LI Yan opened at 135 kg and lifted smoothly to 140 kg on her second attempt. She missed 145 on her final lift, but by that point, she had already locked in gold.

PARK and SON battled for silver and bronze. Park hit 125 kg confidently, while Son delivered a strong 121 kg to secure third. KOVALCHUK posted 111 kg and WANG 110 kg—a solid showing but outside medal contention.

Snatch Medal Recap:

🥇 LI Yan (CHN) – 140 kg
🥈 PARK Hyejeong (KOR) – 125 kg
🥉 SON Younghee (KOR) – 121 kg

Snatch Results Table:

Clean & Jerk: Big Numbers and Bold Moves

The clean and jerk session had high drama from the start. KOVALCHUK opened with 138 kg and worked up to 145 kg — an effort that helped push her total but fell short of a medal challenge. WANG ended with 142 kg, slightly improving on her expected finish.

Meanwhile, SON pushed for a big 161 kg, securing the Silver. PARK hit 160 kg after a 155 kg opener, but missed third 163 kg lift in her attempt for Silver and stayed with Bronze.

The lift of the day came from LI Yan. She opened at 162 kg, calmly nailed 170 kg on her second, and then chose to skip her final attempt. That 170 sealed her third gold, pushing her total to an astonishing 310 kg.

Clean & Jerk Medal Recap:

🥇 LI Yan (CHN) – 170 kg
🥈 SON Younghee (KOR) – 161 kg
🥉 PARK Hyejeong (KOR) – 160 kg

Clean & Jerk Results Table:

Total Results: China Untouchable

There was no question about the overall winner. LI Yan took all three golds, finishing with a monstrous 310 kg total, a full 25 kg ahead of her closest competitor.

🥇 LI Yan (CHN) – 310 kg (140/170)
🥈 PARK Hyejeong (KOR) – 285 kg (125/160)
🥉 SON Younghee (KOR) – 282 kg (121/161)

Full Results Table:

What Stood Out: Strength and Strategy

• LI Yan emerged not only as the top lifter of the session but as a rising global contender. At just 20 years old, she has now swept gold at the Asian level and is knocking on the door of Li Wenwen’s dynasty.
• Korea’s depth in the superheavy class remains elite, with both PARK and SON medaling.
• No new records were set, but the 310 kg total from LI is one of the highest in post-Wenwen competition in Asia.

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