15-year-old Vietnamese weightlifter, Do Tu Tung, made a strong start at the 2019 International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) Youth World Championships, which opened in Las Vegas, USA, on March 8 (local times), bringing home three gold medals and setting three youth world records in the men's 49kg division. 

Do Tu Tung won a hat-trick of gold medals with three youth world records at the opening of the 2019 IWF Youth World Championships in Las Vegas, USA, March 9. (Photo: IWF)

Competing with seven strong rivals from Turkey, USA, Ecuador and Romania, the young Vietnamese dominated the snatch, setting a new youth world record at 95kg with his second attempt.

He continued his great performance in the clean and jerk, also setting the youth world record at 117kg and immediately improved to 125kg, totalling 220kg, which is also a youth world record.

Tung had a whopping 40kg advantage over the second finisher, Romanian Florin Cosmin Krupla (180kg).

Since the weight class was first put into play by the IWF, Tung has established three new world youth records.

The Bac Ninh native is a promising young talent of Vietnamese weightlifting. Previously, at the Asian Weightlifting Federation Junior and Youth Championships 2018, Tung won three gold medals in the men’s 50kg bodyweight category.

Do Tu Tung dominates all three podiums on the opening day of the 2019 IWF Youth World Championships in Las Vegas, USA, March 9. (Photo: IWF)

After Tung's hat-trick in the men's weight of 49kg, it was female lifter Nguyen Thi Thu Trang’s turn to shine on the second day of the event (March 10 - Hanoi times).

As the silver medallist at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games, Vietnam’s Trang dominated the women’s 45kg bodyweight category, with a total of 141kg, taking all three gold medals. Anali Paola Saldarriaga Yovera from Peru came in second 11kg behind Trang.

Vietnamese Bui Dinh Sang won another gold in the snatch in the men’s 61kg with 113kg. However, the 2002 born failed two of his clean and jerk attempts, having only one successful lift of 130kg, thus ended up in third place overall.

On March 13, the last Vietnamese lifter Vuong Truong Khoi will compete in the final of men's 89 kg.

The competition runs until March 15.

Nhan Dan