Hurdlers take dual golds, North Korea set another weightlifting record

HANGZHOU, China: Two hurdlers were crowned champions after a photo finish at the Asian Games on Monday (Oct 2) while North Korea doubled down in record-breaking style in the weightlifting.

A South Korean roller-skater was left in anguish, however, after an early celebration cost his team gold in a relay event.

Japan's Shunya Takayama and Kuwaiti runner Yaqoub Alyouha were both awarded gold in the men's 110 metres hurdles, officials unable to separate them after they crossed in 13.41 seconds at the Hangzhou Olympic stadium.

Takayama, who took bronze in the event at the previous Asian Games in Jakarta, said he felt lucky to share the title after hitting hurdles in the race.

"To get two gold medals, with another athlete, makes me twice as happy," he said.

Alyouha admitted to a nervous wait before the result was confirmed.

"This is very rare in our line of work," he said. "Honestly? My blood ran cold."

North Korea's record-shattering performances continued in the weightlifting where Kim Il Gyong set a world mark in the snatch (111kg) on the way to winning the women's 59kg division.

The 20-year-old became the reclusive east Asian nation's third female weightlifter to get into the world-record books in Hangzhou where the team is competing in their first international competition since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ri Song Gum and Kang Hyong Yong set records in winning gold in the 49kg and 55kg divisions respectively on Saturday.

North Korea has been deemed non-compliant by the World Anti-Doping Agency for years and their entry into an Olympic weightlifting qualifying tournament in Cuba earlier this year caused an uproar among rival nations, who complained their athletes were not subjected to the same testing.

The North Koreans ended up