Canada’s Maude Charron earns weightlifting gold, sets Commonwealth Games record
BIRMINGHAM, United Kingdom –
Canadians have racked up eight more medals at the Commonwealth Games.
Maude Charron of Sainte-Luce, Que., won gold in the women’s 64-kilogram weightlifting event on Monday, setting a Commonwealth Games record, with Nicolas Vachon of Saint-Hippolyte, Que., taking bronze in the men’s 81-kilogram program.
Charron lifted 101 kilograms in the snatch and then 130 in the clean and jerk. The 29-year-old was at the top of the rankings in each section, finishing 15 kilograms ahead of the next-best overall score.
Charron said that she felt a lot of pressure to perform at the Commonwealth Games after winning gold in the event at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and in the 63-kilogram class at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games.
“I’m trying to separate my pressure from the pressure that people to put on me,” she said. “I’m just trying to put what I did in the past behind me and looking for what I have to do in my own work.
“I have three snaps to do, three clean and jerks to do, and that’s all I need to focus on.”
Australia’s Sarah Cochrane earned silver behind Charron with a total weight of 216 kilograms and Islamiyat Yusuf of Nigeria was third with 212.
Four gymnasts reached the podium for Canada, starting with Felix Dolci of Laval, Que., taking silver in the men’s floor event for his second medal of the Commonwealth Games.
Laurie Denommee of Saint-Eustache, Que., earned silver in the women’s vault, Jayson Rampersad of Mississauga, Ont., took bronze in men’s pommel horse, and Vancouver’s Chris Kaji won bronze in men’s rings.
Cyclists added two bronze medals for Canada with Maggie Coles-Lyster of Maple Ridge, B.C., climbing the podium in the 10-kilometre and Kelsey Mitchell of Sherwood Park, Alta., medalled in the women’s Keirin.
Canada is fifth in the medal standings with four gold, eight silver, and 14 bronze.
Vachon lifted a total of 320 kilograms, behind England’s Chris Murray (325) and Australia’s Kyle Bruce (323).
Dolci, from Laval, Que., won his silver with a score of 14.166 points, finishing behind winner Jake Jarman of England (14.666). Giarnni Regini-Moran of England claimed bronze with 13.966 points.
“I’m feeling really, really proud, really blessed, happy to have good results for the country,” said Dolci. “Silver’s a really good accomplishment. Obviously, we’re always striving for the gold but, I mean, my friend Jake did a brilliant performance so he totally deserve it.”
Dolci earned his first medal of the Games on the opening day of competition when he helped Canada to a second-place finish in the men’s team final.
Denommee was right behind Georgia Godwin with identical 13.233 scores in the vault, with the edge going to the Australian based on difficulty. Scotland’s Shannon Archer (13.083) took bronze.
Rampersad’s 14.000 scored came behind England’s Joe Fraser (14.833) and Northern Ireland’s Rhys Mc Clenaghan (14.133).
Kaji was third on podium with 14.266 in the men’s rings final, with England’s Courtney Tulloch (14.400) winning gold and Cypress’s Sokratis Pilakouris (14.300) earning silver.
Coles-Lyster finished behind England’s Laura Kenny and New Zealand’s Michaela Drummond respectively in the women’s 10-kilometre scratch race.
Mitchell rounded out the podium of the Keirin, with New Zealand’s Ellesse Andrews winning gold and England’s Sophie Capewell earning silver. It was Mitchell’s fourth medal of the gamesafter picking up silver in three previous track cycling events.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 1, 2022.
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