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Om Yun-chol

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In this Korean name, the family name is Om.
Om Yun-chol
Personal information
NationalityNorth Korean
Born (1991-11-18) 18 November 1991 (age 32)
Chongjin, North Korea
Height1.52 m (5 ft 0 in)
Weight54.95 kg (121 lb)
Sport
CountryNorth Korea
SportWeightlifting
Event–55 kg
TeamAmnokgang Sports Team
Achievements and titles
Personal bests
  • Snatch: 134 kg (2016)
  • Clean and jerk: 171 kg (2015)
  • Total: 303 kg (2016)
Medal record
Men's weightlifting
Representing  North Korea
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2012 London –56 kg
Silver medal – second place 2016 Rio de Janeiro –56 kg
World Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Wrocław –56 kg
Gold medal – first place 2014 Almaty –56 kg
Gold medal – first place 2015 Houston –56 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Ashgabat –55 kg
Gold medal – first place 2019 Pattaya –55 kg
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2014 Incheon –56 kg
Gold medal – first place 2018 Jakarta-Palembang –56 kg
Asian Championships
Gold medal – first place 2013 Astana –56 kg
Summer Universiade
Gold medal – first place 2017 Taipei — 56 kg
Om Yun-chol
Hangul
엄윤철
Hanja
嚴潤哲
Revised RomanizationEom Yun-cheol
McCune–ReischauerŎm Yun-ch'ŏl

Om Yun-chol or Um Yoon-chul (Korean: 엄윤철; Korean pronunciation: [ʌ.mjun.tsʰʌl] or [ʌm] [jun.tsʰʌl]; born 18 November 1991)[1] is a North Korean retired[2] weightlifter, coach, Olympic Champion, and five time World Champion competing in the 56 kg category until 2018 and 55 kg starting in 2018 after the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories.[3] He is 152 centimetres (5 ft 0 in) and weighs 55 kilograms (121 lb).[1] Om represents the Amnokgang Sports Team.[4]

He is also the fourth man to lift over 3 times bodyweight in the clean & jerk multiple times after succeeding in breaking the world record clean and jerk of 169 kg in the −56 kg weight class during the Asian Interclub Championships,[5] and has accomplished this feat 3 more times since the Asian Interclub Championships, at the 2014 Asian Games, 2015 World Weightlifting Championships, and the 2016 Summer Olympics.

He was also the sixth man to lift at least triple his bodyweight in the clean & jerk in international competition, having done so seven times;[6] the others are Naim Süleymanoğlu, Stefan Topurov,[7] Long Qingquan, Halil Mutlu, and Neno Terziyski.

He has set six senior world records throughout his career, five in the clean & jerk and one in the total.

Early life

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According to North Korean sources, he was born to a family of fishermen, in Sunam-guyok, Chongjin. Om was picked up by the weightlifting instructor Sin Gap-jun while practicing football at the local sports school.

Career

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Olympics

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He won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics at the men's 56 kg event,[1] setting an Olympic Record in the clean and jerk with 168 kg,[8] all while competing in the B session. He became only the fifth man to ever clean and jerk three times his own body weight.[9]

At the men's 56 kg weightlifting event at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Om was a favorite to renew his gold from London. After breaking his own Olympic record with a lift of 169 kg, Om was surpassed by Long Qingquan and had to settle for the silver medal.[10]

World Championships

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He won his first World Championships in 2013, one year removed from becoming Olympic Champion, by beating Long Qingquan by 2 kg.

In 2014 he defended his title as World Champion by lifting 296 kg at the 2014 World Weightlifting Championships. His total was tied with second place Thạch Kim Tuấn but he won by virtue of a lighter body weight (55.71 vs. 55.75).

Following his World Championship win in 2014 he was the heavy favorite to win his third World championship in a row. He ended up winning the gold medal at the 2015 World Weightlifting Championships in spectacular fashion, after trailing Wu Jingbiao by 8 kg in the snatch (during which he set a new world record snatch of 139 kg) Om Yun-chol outlifted Wu Jingbiao by 8 kg in the clean and jerk setting a new world record clean and jerk of 171 kg. Their totals of 302 kg were tied, but yet again Om Yun-chol won by virtue of a lighter body weight.[11]

He did not compete in the 2017 World Weightlifting Championships due to the North Korean team issuing a boycott of the Championships.[12]

In 2018 the International Weightlifting Federation reorganized the categories and he competed in the newly created 55 kg, he won his fourth World Championships by a margin of 24 kg over the second-place finisher, while winning gold medals in all lifts. During the clean and jerk portion of the competition he set a new world record of 162 kg.[13]

Asian Games

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At the 2014 Asian Games he won the gold medal in the 56 kg, in the clean and jerk portion he set a new world record lift of 170 kg.[14] His total of 298 kg was an Asian Record at the time of competition.[15][16]

At the next Asian Games in 2018 he was the favorite to win another gold medal at the Games. After finishing in second place after the snatch portion of the competition, 1 kg behind Thạch Kim Tuấn, he outlifted him by 8 kg in the clean and jerk portion of the competition securing his second Asian Games gold medal.[17][18]

Major results

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Year Venue Weight Snatch (kg) Clean & Jerk (kg) Total Rank
1 2 3 Rank 1 2 3 Rank
Olympic Games
2012 United Kingdom London, United Kingdom 56 kg 120 125 125 6 160 165 168 1 293 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2016 Brazil Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 56 kg 128 132 134 2 165 169 169 2 303 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
World Championships
2011 France Paris, France 56 kg 115 118 118 10 152 152 152 5 267 6
2013 Poland Wrocław, Poland 56 kg 124 127 130 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 162 170 -- 1st place, gold medalist(s) 289 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2014 Kazakhstan Almaty, Kazakhstan 56 kg 124 124 128 5 162 162 168 1st place, gold medalist(s) 296 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2015 United States Houston, United States 56 kg 127 131 133 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 165 171 WR 175 1st place, gold medalist(s) 302 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2018 Turkmenistan Ashgabat, Turkmenistan 55 kg 120 125 128 1st place, gold medalist(s) 155 162 162 WR 1st place, gold medalist(s) 282 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019 Thailand Pattaya, Thailand 55 kg 121 126 128 1st place, gold medalist(s) 155 163 166 CWR 1st place, gold medalist(s) 294 CWR 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Asian Games
2014 South Korea Incheon, South Korea 56 kg 123 128 131 3 160 166 170 WR 1 298 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2018 Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia 56 kg 127 131 131 2 160 172 172 1 287 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Asian Championships
2013 Kazakhstan Astana, Kazakhstan 56 kg 122 126 126 1st place, gold medalist(s) 160 169 169 1st place, gold medalist(s) 286 1st place, gold medalist(s)
2019 China Ningbo, China 61 kg 125 130 133 7 165 172 172 4 295 6
Asian Interclub Championships
2013 North Korea Pyongyang, North Korea 56 kg 115 118 120 1st place, gold medalist(s) 155 169 WR -- 1st place, gold medalist(s) 289 1st place, gold medalist(s)
World Junior Championships
2011 Malaysia Penang, Malaysia 56 kg 115 121 121 6 150 156 156 1st place, gold medalist(s) 271 4
Summer Universiade
2013 Taiwan New Taipei, Taiwan 56 kg 122 129 UR -- 1st place, gold medalist(s) 155 165 UR 172 1st place, gold medalist(s) 294 UR 1st place, gold medalist(s)
  • CWR: Current world record
  • WR: World record
  • UR: Universiade record

Personal life

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According to a 2019 article from Choson Sinbo,after his retirement in 2019, he graduated from Kim Hyong Jik University of Education with a major in athletics and working as a weightlifting researcher at the youth athletics school in the ministry of physical culture and sports.[19]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Om Yun-chol". London2012.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  2. ^ Oliver, Brian (8 October 2023). "North Korea's record-breaking weightlifters - "they're so good it's scary"". InsideTheGames. Archived from the original on 20 December 2023. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  3. ^ "PDF listing of 2018 Group A world championship entrants in 55 kg" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 13 January 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  4. ^ "DPRK's Best Players, Coaches for 2013". KCNA Watch. KCNA. 7 January 2014. Retrieved 27 August 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  5. ^ "World records – International Weightlifting Federation". Archived from the original on 25 May 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  6. ^ BarBend (9 June 2017). "Only 6 People Have Officially Clean & Jerked Triple Bodyweight (in Competition)". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  7. ^ Chidlovski.net. "Stefan Topurov". Archived from the original on 18 October 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  8. ^ ESPN (29 July 2012). "Om Yun Chol wins weightlifting gold". Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  9. ^ Chidlovski, Arthur. "Who in the World Has Ever Lifted Three Times Their Own Body Weight?". Lift Up. Archived from the original on 8 November 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2013.
  10. ^ John G. Grisafi (8 August 2016). "North Korea wins its first medal of 2016 Olympics". NK News. Archived from the original on 8 August 2016. Retrieved 8 August 2016.
  11. ^ NBC Sports. "World records fall at Weightlifting World Championships". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  12. ^ "Weightlifting: North Korea not among entrants for world champs in U.S." Reuters. 8 November 2017. Archived from the original on 13 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  13. ^ IWF.net (2 November 2018). "Six Medallists in the men's 55kg". Archived from the original on 18 November 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  14. ^ IWF.net (22 September 2014). "World Record breaking 2014 Asian Games". Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  15. ^ ESPN (20 September 2014). "Om Yun Chol sets world record". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  16. ^ "North Korea's Om Yun Chol sets world record". Associated Press. 20 September 2014. Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  17. ^ Yonhap News Agency (20 August 2018). "N. Korea's Om Yun-chol defends weightlifting title". Archived from the original on 12 February 2020. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  18. ^ Korea Herald (20 August 2018). "N. Korea's Om Yun-chol defends weightlifting title". Archived from the original on 15 December 2018. Retrieved 15 December 2018.
  19. ^ "북한 엄윤철 선수 10대 선수들세계적인 역도 강자로 육성".
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