Weightlifter captures North Korea’s 1st Rio gold

North Korea won four gold medals in London four years ago but has started slowly in Rio, with only two silver and two bronze medals before Rim’s win.

Jong Sim Rim of North Korea reacts during the Weightlifting in Women's 75kg Group A.

North Korea has its first gold medal of the Rio Olympics after Rim Jong Sim won the women’s 75-kilogram weightlifting class.

Rim was utterly dominant, lifting 117 kilograms in the snatch and 153 in the clean and jerk for a total of 274, way ahead of the 258 managed by Belarusian silver medalist Darya Naumava, or 257 for Spain’s Lidia Valentin Perez.

North Korea won four gold medals in London four years ago but has started slowly in Rio, with only two silver and two bronze medals before Rim’s win.

Rim was gold medalist in the 69kg class four years ago and had few serious rivals at 75kg partly because the gold, silver and bronze medalists from that event in 2012 are all suspended after failing drug tests.