Breaking weightlifting world record, China's Hou Zhihui punches ticket to Paris Olympics

Nothing instills more fear than a cornered wild beast, and the same could be said for Tokyo Olympic champion Hou Zhihui. 

After a string of uncharacteristically underwhelming performances during the qualifying stages of the Paris Games, which nearly saw her Olympic dreams slip away, the 27-year-old Chinese weightlifter rose from the ashes with a stirring display at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup on Monday.  

With sheer willpower and resilience, Hou shattered the world record in the women's 49 kg, lifting a staggering 97 kg in the snatch category, before the DPRK's Ri Song Gum equaled it later in the event. This extraordinary accomplishment not only secures Hou a spot in the upcoming Paris Olympics but also positions her as an odds-on favorite to claim her second consecutive Olympic gold medal.

The turnaround is nothing short of sensational. For most weightlifters, booking a ticket to the Olympics typically entails achieving a top-10 ranking in the world. But for Hou and her compatriots, the true challenge lies in distinguishing themselves within their own formidable team.

Despite China's status as an unrivaled powerhouse in weightlifting, they are restricted to sending only one athlete per weight class. Throughout the course of the last four qualifying tournaments, Hou found herself consistently lagging behind her teammate Jiang Huihua. The women's 49 kg event at the recent World Cup represented Hou's final opportunity to leapfrog Jiang, and seize the opportunity she did.

In retrospect, the women's 49 kg final was a roller-coaster of emotions. Ri emerged as the victor in the clean and jerk, securing a total lift of 221 kg, which is also a new world record, bettering the previous one of 220 kg for the total lift that she had set in February. However, due to the DPRK's late entry into the qualifying program, she is ineligible for the Paris Olympics.

For Hou, the sole objective was to finish ahead of Jiang. Fate played a cruel trick on Jiang, who had previously defeated Hou four times in qualifiers. This time, however, Jiang faltered, missing three of her attempts, including the final two. Meanwhile, Hou exhibited her composure by making a remarkable 6-kg leap to surpass Jiang.

Jiang's final results stood at 94-114-208, a notable dip from her personal best. Even if Jiang had successfully completed her last clean and jerk attempt of 123 kg, she would not have surpassed Hou. Both athletes would have tied at 217 kg, but Hou would have claimed the top position in the rankings by virtue of reaching that total first.

When the dust settled, Hou achieved a career-best performance, amassing an outstanding total of 97-120-217. This feat surpassed her winning total in Tokyo by 7 kg, highlighting her continuous progress in the sport. 

"Over the past few weeks, I've been carrying a heavy burden of pressure, but I've come to realize that pressure can also fuel my determination," reflected Hou after the breakthrough, her voice tinged with emotion.  

Having just celebrated her 27th birthday, she expressed deep gratitude towards her coaches, family and friends, who have been a constant source of support and encouragement. "They have always believed in me and pushed me to believe in myself," she beamed. "And now, I can proudly say that I've finally proven them right."