Kitakyushu 2018: Le Van Cong vs. Zheng Yu
Vietnam’s Paralympic champion targets Asia-Oceania title defence 05 Sep 2018Le Van Cong is the overwhelming favourite to retain the regional title at the Asia-Oceania Open Championships in Kitakyushu, Japan, from 8-12 September.
The Vietnamese is the reigning Paralympic champion in the category, having topped the podium at Rio 2016. He also took gold at last year’s World Championships in Mexico City, even setting a new world record of 183.5kg along the way.
But there are some powerlifters who may have a small opportunity to defeat him. One of them is China’s Zheng Yu, who came in fourth at his first major competition at Mexico City 2017 with a 165kg lift.
He may not have Le’s experience and many titles but has proven already that competing on the biggest stage does not add extra pressure onto his shoulders.
Head to Head
PERSONAL INFO
Le: Nationality: Vietnam. Age: 34
Yu: Nationality: China. Age: 42
PARALYMPIC GAMES
Le: Games: 2 (2012, 2016)
Medals: 1 (gold)
Yu: Has not yet made his debut at a Paralympic Games
DID YOU KNOW?
Le: Runs an electronics repair business from his home in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Yu: Was interested in lifting at the first sight of the sport
Kitakyushu 2018 will be shown live on World Para Powerlifting’s website and Facebook page.
Full results will be available on the Kitakyushu 2018 website.