Weightlifting worlds 2026: Pei Xinyi sets two world records as China go one-two in women's 61kg

China's Pei Xinyi delivered the standout women's performance of the World Weightlifting Championships so far on Sunday 1 November, making all six of her lifts in Ningbo and setting two world records on her way to the women's 61kg title. Team-mate Yang Liuyue took silver and North Korea's Pak Jin Hae claimed bronze. Ningbo is on the same clock as Malaysia (UTC+8), so the evening sessions in China run live at the same time for fans here.

Six from six and two records

Pei opened her account with 112kg in the snatch before taking over in the clean and jerk. Her 142kg clean and jerk was a new world record, and it pushed her total to 254kg, another world record. According to reports from the event, the International Weightlifting Federation rated it the best women's result of 2026 so far.

Yang Liuyue finished second with 110kg in the snatch, 139kg in the clean and jerk and a total of 249kg, five kilograms behind her team-mate. Pak Jin Hae completed the podium with a 243kg total, which included a 138kg clean and jerk. Colombia's Karen Mosquera was second in the snatch with 111kg but did not finish in the top three on total.

A breakthrough at a new weight

Pei has been a fixture on world podiums for several years. She won the 64kg world title in 2022 in her first international competition, then took bronze at 59kg in 2023 and silver at 59kg in 2024. Competing at 61kg in Ningbo, she lifted a total well above the 237kg that earned her 59kg silver two years ago.

How the medals have been shared

Sunday's win was China's third total gold of the championships. With eight bodyweight categories completed by the end of 1 November, the golds on total had gone to just two nations:

• North Korea (5): Ri Song Gum (women's 49kg), Pak Myong Jin (men's 65kg), Oh Kwang Ok (women's 57kg), Pak Pyol (men's 70kg) and Ri Ryong Hyon (men's 75kg).
• China (3): Yang Yang (men's 60kg), Zhang Haiqin (women's 53kg) and Pei Xinyi (women's 61kg).

Southeast Asia has already had a taste of the podium. Indonesia's Rahmat Erwin Abdullah won silver and Thailand's Weeraphon Wichuma bronze behind Ri Ryong Hyon in the men's 75kg on Saturday.

What's next in Ningbo

The championships run until 8 November. The men's 85kg A group is on the programme for Monday evening (2 November), with China's entries including Lei Jiangqing and Chen Shunnan. The published A-group schedule then continues with women's 69kg on 3 November, men's 95kg on 4 November, women's 77kg on 5 November, men's 110kg on 6 November and women's 86kg on 7 November, before both super-heavyweight classes close the event on 8 November. A-group sessions are listed for 7pm local time, which is also 7pm in Malaysia, though organisers say times may change.

Key takeaways

• Pei Xinyi won women's 61kg gold with 112kg snatch, 142kg clean and jerk and 254kg total.
• Her clean and jerk and total were both world records.
• Yang Liuyue (249kg) made it a Chinese one-two; North Korea's Pak Jin Hae took bronze (243kg).
• After eight categories, North Korea lead China five golds to three on total.
• The men's 85kg A group is scheduled for Monday evening, 2 November.

FAQ

What world records did Pei Xinyi set in Ningbo? She set new world records in the clean and jerk (142kg) and the total (254kg) in the women's 61kg on 1 November 2026.

Who won silver and bronze in the women's 61kg? China's Yang Liuyue took silver with 249kg and North Korea's Pak Jin Hae took bronze with 243kg.

When do the 2026 World Weightlifting Championships finish? The championships in Ningbo run from 27 October to 8 November, ending with the men's +110kg and women's +86kg.

Sources: International Weightlifting Federation, Sportaran, Weightlifting House, Wikipedia