Park Hye-jung sets Korean record to book her place in Paris

South Korean women's weightlifting hope Park Hye-jung (21-Goyang City Hall), dubbed the "post-Joseulan," has qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. It will be her first Olympic Games.

Park lifted a total of 296 kilograms with a lift of 130 kilograms and a lift of 166 kilograms in the women's heaviest weight class (87 kilograms and above) at the 2024 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, on Tuesday.

She set a new South Korean record of 295 kg (127 kg lift, 168 kg deadlift) at the Asian Championships in Jinju, South Korea, last May.

Park secured her Olympic berth, which is limited to one athlete per country per weight class, at the event, which is used to rank athletes for the Olympic Games. She finished second overall and first among South Korean athletes.

Park, who won the World Championships and Asian Games last year, will now compete in her first Olympic Games.

China's Li Wenyuan, the favorite to win gold in Paris, dominated the competition with a total of 325 kilograms, including 145 kilograms in the lift and 180 kilograms in the snatch. He will represent China at the Olympics.

Her compatriot Son Young-hee (Jeju-do) finished third overall with a total of 283 kilograms, including 122 kilograms in the vault and 161 kilograms in the beam. She was 13 kilograms behind Park Hye-jung. She will not be going to the Olympics as each country can only send one athlete per weight class.