Weightlifter Vishal Singh Bist went to Hangzhou Asian Games with a national record. He will return with a rare one.

Bist set a new weightlifting national record with a combined 301 kg in the men’s 96 kg division, eclipsing his own previous record of 291 kg.

“This is the first time any Nepali weightlifter has managed a combined lift of 300 kg or more,” said Nepal Weightlifting Association President Ram Krishna Shrestha.

Bist started with 121 kg lift in the snatch before managing 127 in the second and 133 in the third attempt.

After lifting 161 kg and 168 kg in the first and second attempt in clean and jerk, Bist went for 175 kg but could not complete it.

On the way to his national record 301 kg lift, Bist also smashed his own records in snatch and clean and jerk. Bist had lifted 126 kg in snatch and 165 kg in clean and jerk while setting his previous national record, which he achieved during the World Weightlifting Championship in Riyad, Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago.

Bist ended in the 15th position.

China's Tian Tao—the 2019 world champion at 96 kg weight category and 2014 Asian Games champion at 81 kg weight category—won gold after recording a combined 390 kg (180kg +210kg).

Ro Kwangryol of North Korea won silver with a combined 386 kg lift (170kg + 216kg) while Sarat Sumpradit of Thailand lifted 384 kg (176 kg+208 kg) to win his second successive Asian Games bronze.

A total of five Nepali weightlifters have participated at the Asian Games 2022.

Nepal karate team also disappointed on Thursday after Shekhu Mahammed Alam, Sonmin Manandhar and Alisha Raskoti Magar all exited on the opening day of the competition.

Alam lost to Nurkanat Azhikanov of Kazakhstan 5-0 in the men’s 75kg kumite round of 16. Alam received a bye in the repechage bout round 1 but lost to Nazim Nurlanov 2-0 in the next round to bow out of the competition.

Manandhar scored 38.30 points to finish fifth in his pool in the men’s individual kata and could not qualify to the second round as top four performers.

Raskoti came sixth in her women’s individual kata pool with a 37.30 score.

Nepal’s athletics tour also ended after Rajan Rokaya ended in the 14th position in the men’s marathon taking 2 hours 23 minutes and 17 seconds.

China’s Jie HE won the gold completing the distance in 2:13:02.

Pushpa Bhandari took 3:02:37 to finish 16th in the women’s marathon. Eunice Chebichii Paul Chumba of Bahrain won gold clocking 2:26:14.

Wrestler Siwangi Dube lost to Sriprapa Tho Kawe of Thailand 8-0 in the women’s 57kg freestyle event.