North Korea’s weightlifters will flex their considerable collective muscle when they return to the Olympics for the first time in 12 years at Los Angeles in 2028 – and they could be in for an American gold rush if the Asian Games are any indication.
The secretive nation has been the dominant force in global weightlifting since emerging from self-imposed Covid exile to smash six world records at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023. They also won six golds.
At the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan this week, North Korea’s strong women and men have taken five gold medals and two silvers from seven events so far.
They had also set seven world records by Friday night, less than halfway through the seven-day weightlifting programme.