An Kum-ae takes judo event; Om Yun-chol rolls in weightlifting


The North Korean Olympic team won two gold medals on Sunday in weightlifting and judo, putting the country in sixth in the overall medal count.

An Kum-ae won North Korea’s first gold of the London Olympics in the women’s under-52 kilogram judo event, and hours later Om Yun-chol took gold in the men’s under-56 kilogram weightlifting event.

This is the first time the North has achieved two gold medals in a day since its Summer Olympic debut in Munich in 1972.

Although An won North Korea’s first gold, the media spotlight went to Om, who competed with flair while playing mind games with his competitors.

Om shocked the crowd by lifting more than three times his bodyweight and setting an Olympic record of 168 kilograms early in the event, breaking the 167 kilogram record set in Sydney in 2000. With his successful clean and jerk, the 56 kilogram Om became the fifth man ever to lift three times his own weight.

“I wanted to lift a big weight and make the other athletes nervous,” said Om.

Om’s psychological tactics paid off, as event favorite Wu Jiangbiao of China fell 7 kilograms short, forcing him to settle for silver.

Om had asked to compete early in the “B” group, which traditionally lacks any serious medal contenders. It was there where he lifted 160 kilograms, 165 kilograms and 168 kilograms.

Om’s teammate Ryang Chun-hwa also placed third in the women’s under-48 kilogram weightlifting event.

The 32-year-old An was able to outlast her 25-year-old competitor, Cuba’s Yanet Bermoy, on the judo mat after the match went into sudden death. This will be An’s second medal after taking home silver at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Judo and weightlifting are among some of the more recent fortes in the Olympics for the North Koreans, who traditionally performed well in boxing and wrestling.

By Robert Lee (robert@heraldcorp.com)