Cui Zhe wins gold with record lift at Asian Para Games

China's Cui Zhe lifted 120 kilograms to win gold in the women's 41kg para powerlifting final on Monday, securing the Chinese delegation's first gold medal at the fifth Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan.

The successful lift was the heaviest Cui had ever managed in competition, marking a personal breakthrough for the 40-year-old veteran, who said she had learned to perform with greater confidence by easing the pressure she put on herself.

Cui admitted feeling nervous before the competition, as many of her main rivals compete primarily in Europe. After discussing her goals with coach Sun Yafei, she aimed to improve her world ranking and lift a weight in competition that she had previously been unable to manage in training.

Before her third attempt, Cui made some adjustments and focused on steadying herself as the clock ticked down.

"I had never lifted this weight in competition before, so I wanted to get every detail right. I first needed to steady my mind before going up to lift," she said during the post-match interview. "At that moment, I was just thinking that I had to get the weight up."