▲ Park Hye-jeong waves as she enters the arena for the women's +86kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, held at the Nagoya City International Exhibition Hall in Aichi Prefecture, Japan, on the 29th.
"I was preparing for the Asian Games when suddenly they said Li Wenwen was going to show up. So I was like, 'Huh? Why is she competing?' To be honest, I was annoyed! (Laughs)"
Entering the mixed zone after winning the silver medal in the women's +86kg weightlifting event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games held at the Nagoya City International Exhibition Hall in Japan today (the 29th), Park Hye-jeong (Goyang City Hall) burst into a refreshing laugh in front of reporters.
On this day, Park lifted 133kg in the snatch and 167kg in the clean and jerk, securing a valuable silver medal with a total of 300kg.
This marks her second consecutive medal following her gold at the 2022 Hangzhou Games, as well as new Korean records by breaking her previous personal bests in both the snatch and total.
Although her bid for a second straight title fell short, Park smiled brightly, saying, "This medal makes me even happier than the one in Hangzhou."
She shared her thoughts, saying, "Because of the Qatari athlete (Eklef Ouisal) who emerged as a rising contender, I trained really hard back in Korea. It makes me proud to think that if I work even harder, an Olympic gold medal is within reach. While the clean and jerk is a bit disappointing, I am genuinely thrilled to have improved my snatch by 2kg and set a new Korean record."
Although she seemed to step onto the platform in peak condition, she actually faced some hidden challenges.
Despite being a super-heavyweight athlete who needs to maintain her body weight, she lost as much as 4kg after arriving in Japan.
Hesitating for a moment, Park confessed, "Can I even talk about this? The food at the athlete accommodation cruise didn't really suit my taste. I thought there would be lots of delicious food since it's Japan, so I didn't bring much Korean food with me, and that made things tough."
She also shared her honest feelings about 'weightlifting queen' Li Wenwen (China, total 310kg), with whom she engaged in a fierce, neck-and-neck battle throughout the competition.
Describing Li Wenwen—who returned unexpectedly after hinting at retirement to achieve a 'career grand slam' spanning the Olympics, World Championships, and Asian Games—Park defined her as "a rival, a friend, and another goal to chase."
She added, "Before stepping up to the podium, we congratulated each other. I only know two phrases in Chinese, so I told Li Wenwen unni, 'Ni hen ke'ai' (You're cute)."
The gap between her and 'world's strongest' Li Wenwen remains 10kg, just as it was at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
When asked, "When do you think you can surpass Li Wenwen?" Park didn't hesitate for a single second, replying, "When she retires?" which sent the room into waves of laughter.
She also kept her deep longing for her late mother tucked away in a corner of her heart.
Overcoming her grief to win a silver medal during the Paris Olympics, Park calmly said, "I wasn't able to visit my mother while preparing for this competition. Once I return to Korea, get through the National Sports Festival and the World Championships, and find some free time, I will definitely go visit her."
The simple wish Park wanted to fulfill most upon returning to Korea after wrapping up her breathless battle was modest.
Smiling brightly, she said, "I'm not great with spicy food, but being here made me keep craving Yeopgi Tteokbokki. Of course, I'm going to order it in the mildest 'kind taste' spice level."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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