In 1999, the year she turned 16 and graduated from Sangji Girls’ Middle School, she picked up a barbell at her father’s urging. She said the remark that weightlifting alone could get her into college was decisive. In 2001 she graduated from Wonju Technical High School and continued her career with the Wonju City Hall team.
In 2002 she wore the national team uniform for the first time and won silver at the Busan Asian Games. In 2003 she won bronze in the clean and jerk at the Vancouver World Championships, helping secure places for the Athens Olympics.
The breakthrough yearThe year she turned 21, she won silver in the women’s +75 kg class at the Athens Olympics. She was Korea’s first female medalist since women’s weightlifting became an official Olympic event.
In 2005 she won her first World Championships title, in Doha, Qatar. In 2006 she won a second straight world title but took only silver at the Doha Asian Games late that year. In 2007 she moved to Goyang City Hall and won a third straight world title in Chiang Mai with a total world record.
In 2008 she won gold at the Beijing Olympics with world records in the snatch, the clean and jerk and the total. In 2009 she won a fourth world title at the championships in Goyang, with a clean and jerk world record. In 2010 she finished third at the autumn World Championships, then won her first Asian Games gold in Guangzhou.
In 2012 she won three golds at the Asian Championships in Pyeongtaek to complete the four major titles, and placed fourth at the London Olympics. In 2013 she ended a 15-year career. In 2016 she became a professor at Yong In University and inherited the London Olympic bronze after doping retests.
In 2023 she became Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism. In 2024 she asked the IOC president for a meeting after the Korean delegation was introduced as North Korea at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony. In 2025 she donated 88 items to the National Sports Museum and, after leaving the vice-minister post, began writing a column for the Chosun Ilbo. In 2026 she was still writing the column.
Jang Mi-ran (born Oct 9, 1983) wore the national team uniform for the first time and won silver at the Busan Asian Games on Oct 8, 2002, the year she turned 19, and became known for her silver at the Athens Olympics on Aug 21, 2004, the year she turned 21. She won Olympic gold in 2008, the year she turned 25.
Ages are by calendar year (the year minus the birth year), birthdays aside.