Taipei, Nov. 13 (CNA) Taiwanese powerlifter Hung Hsiu-ching (洪秀靜) won a gold medal in the squat in the women’s 63-kilogram weight class at the 2026 World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships in Istanbul, Turkey, on Thursday (local time) with a lift of 235 kg.
Hung also won bronze in the deadlift with a lift of 210 kg and took bronze overall with a total of 560 kg across the squat, bench press and deadlift.
President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) sent Hung a congratulatory message shortly after learning of her results.
Hung previously told CNA that she took up powerlifting after suffering injuries and having disagreements with her tai chi coach. She continued competing after becoming a mother.
As of Friday, Taiwan had won eight gold, seven silver and eight bronze medals at the championships.
In the men’s 83-kg class, Taiwan’s Chiang Kai-chieh (江凱傑) won deadlift gold Wednesday (local time) with a lift of 335 kg and took bronze overall with a total of 915 kg.
Fellow Taiwanese lifter Wu Yi-heng (吳宜衡) won gold in the men’s 74-kg deadlift with a lift of 307.5 kg.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the Ministry of Sports praised the athletes for their dedication and perseverance through demanding training and said their performances had brought honor to Taiwan.
The World Open Equipped Powerlifting Championships, organized annually by the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF), began Monday and run through Sunday, bringing together elite athletes from around the world to compete in squat, bench press and deadlift.
