Indian weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga won India’s second gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022 in Birmingham on Sunday in the men’s 67 kilograms final.
Lalrinnunga created history with a record-breaking combined lift of 300 kilograms to bag the gold. With this, India’s medals tally has risen to five.
He had lifted a record-breaking 140 kilograms in the snatch category and 160 kilograms in the clean and jerk category which combined for a Commonwealth Games record.
In the snatch attempt, Edidiong Jospeh Umaoafia was second with 130 kilograms and Samoa’s Vaipava Ioane came in third with 127 kilograms lift.
Lalrinnunga set a new CWG record with his lift of 140 kilograms in the second snatch attempt.
However, he failed in an attempt to better this record and lifting 143 kilograms in his final attempt. He finished with 140 kilograms in the round.
In the clean and jerk category Nuaru’s Ditto Titus Ika took an initial lead with a 135 kilograms C and J lift and combined lift of 240 kilograms.
With a combined lift of 250 kilograms, Kiribati’s Ruben Katoatau took the lead further lifting 136 kilograms in the clean and jerk round. Then England’s Jaswant Singh Shergill lifted 140 kilograms to take his combined lift to 254 kilograms.
Nigeria’s Umoafia’s lift of 150 kilograms left Jeremy needing to lift 154 kilograms to match the Nigerian which he successfully did. He took his combined total to 294 kilograms setting a new CWG record and taking him to the top in the overall competition.
In his second attempt in the clean and jerk round, he lifted 160 kilograms to take the lead with a combined lift of 300 kilograms bettering his own total earlier.
It may be noted that this is India’s second gold medal of the tournament after Mirabai Chanu bagged the gold in women’s weightlifting in the 49 kilograms category.
Samoa’s Vaipava Ioane won the silver medal with a combined lift of 293 kilograms, while Nigeria’s Umoafia bagged the bronze with a combined lift of 290 kilograms.
