Taiwanese Weightlifter Kuo Hsing-chun claimed a gold medal for Taiwan at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on Tuesday. This is her story.
Kuo Hsing-chun is a Taiwanese four-time World Champion, two-time Universiade Champion, one-time Asian Games Champion, and four-time Asian Champion. Now, she can add ‘Olympic Gold Medalist’ to her list of achievements. On Tuesday, Kuo beat out all other women competitors in her 59 kg weight class to claim Taiwan’s first gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Kuo Hsing-chun was born in Taiwan’s Yilan County on November 26, 1993. The 27-year-old is of indigenous Amis descent. She made her Olympic debut in 2012 in London, where she placed sixth overall in the women’s 58kg weight category. Then, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, she took home a bronze medal despite an injury.
After a less than optimal performance in Rio, Kuo has not lost a single major competition, taking home gold medals at the World Weightlifting Championships, the Asian Games, the Universiade, and the Asian Championships.
Kuo was favored to win gold at Tokyo, and she delivered with a vengeance. Kuo lifted a combined 236 kg--an Olympic record, but just short of the world record of 247kg, which she herself holds. However, Kuo’s Olympic performance put her more than 19kg ahead of runner-up Polina Guryeva of Turkmenistan.
For Kuo, Tuesday wasn’t about setting records: it was about winning gold. Still, not smashing her own record was a sign for Kuo that she’d have to return and defend her title the next time the Olympics roll around.