Indonesian weightlifter Rahmat Erwin Abdullah clinched a gold medal and set a new world record in the men’s 73kg weight category at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, on Tuesday.
The bronze medalist from the Olympics flawlessly executed all three lifts in each category, totaling 359kg. He lifted 158kg in the snatch and 201kg in the clean and jerk, breaking his own 2022 record of 200kg.
Abdullah’s victory marked Indonesia’s first gold in weightlifting at the Asian Games. Despite strong efforts, other Indonesian lifters, including Olympic silver medalist Eko Yuli Irawan and Olympic bronze medalist Windy Cantika Aisah, fell short of securing a medal at the Asian Games.
In the men’s 73kg division, Wichuma Weeraphon of Thailand claimed silver with a combined total of 351kg: 156kg in snatch and 195kg in the clean and jerk. North Korean lifter Kumthaek Oh secured bronze, lifting a total of 344kg, with 151kg in snatch and 193kg in clean and jerk.
Before competing in Hangzhou, the 23-year-old lifter had previously broken a world record in the clean and jerk category in the men’s 81kg division at the 2023 IWF World Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, last September.
