Taiwan powerlifter wins 1 gold, 2 bronzes at World Championships

Taipei, Nov. 14 (CNA) Taiwanese powerlifter Chiang Kai-chieh (江凱傑) won a gold medal on Wednesday in the men's 83 kilograms event at the 2025 IPF World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Romania, pulling the heaviest deadlift in his weight class at 332.5 kilos.

Chiang outlifted the 320 kg deadlift score of the overall champion of his weight class, Ukraine's Vitalii Kolomiiets, by 12.5 kg to win the gold medal for the deadlift.

The Taiwanese equipped powerlifter pulled his winning weight on this third attempt, first lifting 320 kg before increasing the weight of his second attempt by 10 kg for 330 kg.

A lift of 350 kg also won Chiang a bronze medal in the squat in the 83 kg weight class, which, when combined with his deadlift and 227.5 kg bench press, put him in third place overall behind Ukraine's Kolomiiets and Mykola Barannik.

Chiang's overall bronze medal was won with a total weight of 910 kg.

Prior to the 2025 championships, held from Monday to Sunday in Cluj-Napoca, Romania, Chiang won a dramatic deadlift gold in the men's equipped middleweight at the World Games in Chengdu, China, on Aug. 17 this year.

His 342.5 kg win at the higher-level competition over his two longtime Ukrainian rivals proved deadlift to be his forte.

Chiang has long represented Taiwan in international powerlifting competitions. He made headlines at the previous world championships event last year by winning silver, earning him a spot in the Chengdu World Games.

To date, Taiwan's team of eight men and eight women powerlifters to the 2025 world championships have secured seven gold, nine silver, and six bronze medals in Romania.

Of the Taiwanese powerlifter who won medals, the athlete who won the top accolade so far was Lin Yi-chun (林逸鈞). He was crowned the 2025 equipped World Champion in the men's 59 kg class on Tuesday with a total lift of 712.5 kg.

Following Lin, Hsieh Tsung-ting (謝宗庭) was named the overall runner-up on Tuesday at the men's 66 kg weight class.

Upon learning of Taiwan's achievements, President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) issued a congratulatory message to applaud the Taiwanese powerlifters and encourage them to keep up the good work for the honor of their country.