Filipino weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos competes in the men's 70kg class in the 2026 Asian Games, September 26, 2026 in Nagoya, Japan. POC Media
(UPDATED) Young weightlifter Albert Ian delos Santos delivered a bronze medal for the Philippine weightlifting team with an inspired performance in the men's 70kg class, Saturday at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Center in Japan.
Delos Santos lifted a combined 324kg, after a lift of 141kg in the snatch and 183kg in the clean and jerk.
His total weight set a new junior world and junior Asian record, while his 183kg in the clean and jerk are also new junior standards at the world and Asian level.
The 20-year-old fended off Uzbekistan's Adkhamjon Ergashev in a battle for the bronze, after the latter failed to lift 181kg in his final attempt.
Topping the podium was North Korea's Ri Won Ju, who lifted a combined 349kg -- a new world, Asian, and Games record -- after lifting 151kg in the snatch and a stunning 198kg in the clean and jerk.
Japan's Miyamoto Masanori settled for the silver with a combined lift of 342kg, having eclipsed Ri with a world-record lift of 154kg in the snatch but settling for 188kg in the clean and jerk.
Miyamoto tried to lift 193kg in his final attempt, which would have put him ahead of the North Korean athlete, but could not complete the lift.
Ri capped his golden performance by lifting 198kg in his final clean and jerk to set a new world record.
With Ri's feat in the 70kg class, North Korea now has a whopping five gold medals and two silvers in the weightlifting competition of the Asian Games.