China's Li wins two golds at IWF World Cup

Li Fabin in action during the men's 61kg competition at the IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, April 2, 2024. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)

PHUKET, Thailand, April 2 (Xinhua) -- Li Fabin of China inched closer to a place at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games with two golds and a new world record at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup here on Tuesday.

The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist broke his own world record in the snatch with 146kg, before adding 166kg in the clean and jerk for a total of 312kg in the men's 61kg category.

While Li bagged the two golds in the snatch and in total, Hampton Morris of the United States came on top in the clean and jerk with a new world record of 176kg.

Li was competing with Shen Lijun, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist in the men's 67kg. But Shen failed all three of his attempts in the snatch and withdrew from the competition.

"It's cruel," said Li after the competition, "Shen had to lose a lot of weight to participate in the men's 61kg competition. I know how hard it is. But I can't afford to lose either and I have to try my best."

The IWF World Cup in Phuket runs until April 11 and serves as a qualifying event for Paris 2024.