The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Song Kuk Hyang redefined the meaning of the word “dominance” on Tuesday (7 October), lifting a record-setting 270kg to claim the women’s 69kg world title at the 2025 IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Førde, Norway.

Hyang, the 2022 Asian Games champion at 76kg, lifted two kilograms more than any other woman in history in the women’s 69kg weight class, setting world records in both the snatch (120kg) and clean and jerk (150kg) to snag her second career world title.

It was a stunning performance from the 2018 Youth Olympian, who lifted 29kg more than runner-up Julieth Alejandra Rodriguez Quintero of Colombia and bronze medallist Ingrid Vanesa Segura Grueso of Bahrain.

While both lifters posted a final total of 241kg – with Rodriguez Quintero performing better in the snatch and Segura Grueso making up the difference in the clean and jerk – the silver medal ultimately went the way of the Colombian, with the teenager from Bahrain forced to settle for the bronze.

That wasn’t the only action on a busy day at the 2025 IWF World Weightlifting Championships, however, as the top lifters in the men’s 88kg weight class battled for their own medals, titles and records on the lifting platform in Førde.

Colombia’s Yeison Lopez – silver medallist in the men’s 89kg event at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 – breathed life into the competition early, surpassing his own snatch world record of 176kg to set the new international benchmark at 177kg.

And while records went tumbling in the clean and jerk portion of the competition, with the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea’s Ro Kwang Ryol lifting 215kg to better the world standard of 214kg, Lopez ultimately earned his second world title, finishing with a total of 387kg.

Ro was rewarded with a silver medal for his efforts, which culminated in a final total of 377kg, while Moldova’s Marin Robu improved on his fourth place finish at Paris 2024 to claim the bronze medal with a total of 369kg.

Competition in Førde continues Wednesday (8 October) with the women’s 77kg weight class.