Korea’s Bak Joo-hyo finishes seventh in men's 73kg weightlifting

Korea’s Bak Joo-hyo finished seventh in the men’s 73-kilogram weightlifting final on Thursday, totaling 334 kilograms across both disciplines.

Bak Joo-hyo competes in the men's 73-kilogram weightlifting event in Paris on Thursday. [AP/YONHAP]

Korea’s Bak Joo-hyo finished seventh in the men’s 73-kilogram weightlifting final on Thursday, totaling 334 kilograms across both disciplines.

Bak started in the snatch attempting to lift 146 kilograms but failed the lift. He increased the load to 147 kilograms in the second attempt and cleared that lift, failing to increase it to 150 kilograms on his third attempt.

Entering the clean and jerk with 147 already in the bank, Bak again missed his first attempt for 186 kilograms, but successfully cleared 187 kilograms on his second attempt. He failed to lift 196 kilograms on his third attempt, ending the competition with 147 and 187 for a combined 334.

Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia took gold with an Olympic record 354, with 19-year-old Weeraphon Wichuma setting a new junior world record at 346 for silver. Bozhidar Dimitrov Andreev of Bulgaria took bronze at 344.

Shi Zhiyong of China, who had looked like the clear favorite after leading the snatch, bottomed out of the competition after failing to clear a single weight in the clean and snatch.

Bak is the first Korean competing in weightlifting in Paris. Yu Dong-ju will be next up in the men’s 89 kilograms on Friday, with Jang Yeon-hak in the men’s 102 kilograms and Kim Su-hyeon in the women’s 81 kilograms on Saturday and Park Hye-jeong in the women’s +81 kilograms on Sunday.

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]