Weightlifting's 'Last Stronghold' Jin Yunseong Sets Out for Medal Hunt Today

Men's 109kg Category Challenge This Afternoon
Last Medal Opportunity for Korean Weightlifting

Korean male weightlifter Jin Yunseong, representative of the 109kg category. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Korean weightlifting is making its final challenge to win a medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Jin Yunseong (26, Goyang City Hall), who is considered the most likely to win a medal on the national team, will take the platform at the Tokyo International Forum at 7:50 PM on the 3rd.

Jin Yunseong's main weight class is the 102 kg category. At the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships held in Pattaya, Thailand, in September, he lifted 181 kg in the snatch and 216 kg in the clean and jerk, totaling 397 kg to place second in the 102 kg category. However, the men's 102 kg category is not an official Olympic event. Jin Yunseong earned a spot in the Olympic 109 kg category through weight gain and rigorous training.

As of the 2nd, six male and female Korean weightlifters have competed but failed to win a medal. Lee Seonmi (21, Gangwon Provincial Office), known as the "second Jang Mi-ran," missed a medal by 5 kg in the 87 kg final the previous day.

Jin Yunseong has enough ability to wipe away the disappointment. However, his competitors are also formidable. Especially Armenia's Simon Martirosyan and Uzbekistan's Akbar Djuraev are mentioned as favorites, lifting around 440 kg in total. Although Jin Yunseong does not reach this level, he has consistently lifted around 405 kg in competitions. His goal is a bronze medal. Jin Yunseong said, "I am trying to give the perception that weightlifting is a good sport," and vowed, "I will definitely stand on the podium."

If Jin Yunseong wins a medal, he will become the first Korean male weightlifter to stand on the Olympic podium in 13 years since Sa Jae-hyouk (gold medalist in the men's 77 kg category in 2008). Kim Minjae, who placed 8th in the 94 kg category at the 2012 London Olympics, was awarded a silver medal in 2019 after his competitors were caught doping. There remains a regret that he could not enjoy the joy in the competition venue.