The easy winner of the men's 62 kilograms was Kim Un Guk, who won overall gold in the 2010 World Championships, and silver in 2011 and 2013 - as well as the Olympic title in 2012.

This was the first time he won all three competitions at the World Championships.

China's Ding Jianjun was beaten into third place, so for the first time since 1998 China was not placed in the top two overall.

The nation cannot keep up with North Korea, and Ding said: "DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) is the strongest rival to China.

"They have many perfect lifters.

"There was an era when China dominated but now they are the best.

"The only way we can respond is by training, training and more training."

Kim, like his fellow countryman Om Yun Chol, who won the 56kg, was talkative and clearly pleased with his victory, especially with China beaten into third place.

Kim Un Guk totalled 325kg to take the overall gold ©Almaty 2014


In a lighter moment he told the media his favourite food was the Korean speciality of cold noodles, and on a more serious note he had a warning for China.

"I can make more improvement in the future," Kim said.

"I will keep the prestige and honour of my titles."

The two nations go into battle again tomorrow in the 69kg.

It was not much of a contest outside the top few placings.

Three lifters failed to register a total, and of 13 snatch attempts made on the 135kg mark, only one was successful.

Two men missed three out of three at 135kg - Ivalyo Filev from Bulgaria and Bunyami Sezer from Turkey.

Kim made 142kg in the snatch, winning by 1kg from the overall runner-up Eko Irawan from Indonesia, and the brilliant young Colombian Luis Javier Mosquera Lozano.

The 19-year old won bronze in the snatch and was fourth overall.

He has set himself a daunting programme next year of competing in the Youth World Championships in Lima, Peru, the Pan American Games in Toronto, and the World Championships in Houston, Texas.

In the women's 48kg Tan Yayun, from China, made it six out of six in the World Championships with a clean sweep of all three gold medals - a repeat of her feat in Poland last year.

Tan Yayun secured gold in the women’s 48kg ©Almaty 2014


Tan, who will be 22 later this month, lifted 109kg with her final attempt in the clean-and-jerk.

That gave her a 194kg total, 5kg ahead of a tearful Sibel Ozkan Konak of Turkey and Panida Khamsri of Thailand, who finished second and third overall.

It was heart breaking for Ozkan Konak, 26, who now has seven silver medals and no gold in the Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and Mediterranean Games.

She was only 1kg behind after the snatch and was confident of a good total, as she has clean-and-jerked 115kg in training.

But she made only 105kg because of an injury.

In the break between the snatch and the clean-and-jerk, Ozkan Konak was sitting and stretching when suddenly she had muscle spasms in her quadriceps, first in her right leg, then the left.

She had ice treatment but the spasms continued.

"I was desperate," she said.

"I thought I would have to withdraw."

Dogan Atlihan, the Turkish team doctor and a member of the IWF Medical Committee, then administered two antispasmodic injections, which allowed her to continue.

But Ozkan Konak was unable to do any warm-ups and went straight from her 84kg snatch to lifting 103kg in the clean-and-jerk.

She improved that by 2kg but failed with her last lift, and was in tears after the medal ceremony.

"It was such bad luck," said Atlihan.

"In seven years with the team I have never seen anything like this.

"Sibel could have done much more."

"I will be more determined than ever in the 2016 Olympics," said Ozkan Konak before she was interrupted by a congratulatory phone call from the Turkish Sports Minister.

There was heartbreak for Sibel Ozkan Konak (left) who was beaten into second place for the seventh time ©Almaty 2014


There was home disappointment when Kazakhstan's Margarita Yelisseyeva failed with all three snatch attempts and withdrew.

The home crowd had been hoping for better from the top-ranked Yelisseyeva.

Another athlete with plenty of support also struggled.

Iana Diachenko, from Ukraine, was cheered on by a small but noisy group of fans here, among them an accordionist and a drummer.

They gave a very impressive and tuneful rendition of a Ukrainian folk song, and cheered Diachenko on.

But she made only three of her six lifts and finished eighth.

Turkey's second athlete, Nurcan Taylan, missed with all six of her lifts.