Weightlifter Vương Thị Huyền (left) poses with her coach after winning Asian gold medals. -- Photo baovanhoa.vn

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese athletes have won three gold and two bronze medals at the ongoing 2019 Asian (Men & Women) Weightlifting Championships in China.

Vương Thị Huyền completed a hat-trick in the women's 45kg pool, which included her teammate Khổng Mỹ Phượng.

Huyền met no difficulty to top the podium in the snatch event with a 76kg lift. India’s Jhilli Dalabehera ended second with 5kg less, while Phượng came third with 70kg.

In the clean and jerk, Huyền lifted 92kg for her second gold, just a single kilo more than Dalabehera who was second, while Mary Flor Diaz of the Philippines took bronze with 89kg.

Her overall total of 168kg was enough for another gold medal, with Dalabehera forced to settle for second place on 162kg. Diaz earned the bronze medal by ending on 158kg.

Huyền won two golds and one silver in February at the World Cup, also in China.

"Despite winning golds I will be happier if I could reach my target. I am sorry, coach and friends, I have not proved myself as my results were not as good as previous event. I am sorry. I will work harder for the next," Huyền posted on her Facebook, expressing her disappointment.

In the February Huyền lifted 170kg in total, having few days to train due to the Lunar New Year holiday.

Huyền said her poor result in the clean and jerk (92kg compared to 98kg in February) pulled her total result down. She was unsuccessful in her first two attempts and could only lift her final one. 

Coach Nguyễn Mạnh Thắng said although the results were not show Huyền's best, it was good as she just switched to the weight category a few months ago

Earlier, Thạch Kim Tuấn could only win bronze in the men's 61kg snatch with a lift of 136kg. He did not succeed in the clean and jerk or total, which saw gold and silver medals go to Chinese lifters.

Tuấn is the world champion in the men's 56kg and also just switched to the new pool.

The Asian competition, a qualification event for 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, is due to continue until April 28 in Ningbo City. — VNS