India lifts off

PTI

Birmingham, July 30

As expected, star weightlifter Mirabai Chanu bossed the 49kg category field to defend her Commonwealth Games title and give India the first gold medal of the 2022 Birmingham here today.

The Olympics silver medallist aggregated a total of 201kg (88kg + 113kg) to stamp her authority in the competition and achieve a Commonwealth Games record in the process.

The silver went to Mauritius’ Marie Hanitra Roilya Ranaivosoa (172kg) and bronze to Canada’s Hannah Kaminski (171kg).

In a remarkable performance, Chanu smashed the Commonwealth (Commonwealth Championships and CWG) and Games record in snatch. She obliterated the Games record in clean and jerk as well as total lift.

An overwhelming favourite in her category, the 27-year-old Chanu set a rather low starting weight for 80kg in snatch and 105kg in clean and jerk before changing her first attempt to 84kg. Going into the competition, she had a personal best of 88kg and 119kg — a world record in clean and jerk — totalling 207kg. Her nearest rival in the field, Nigeria’s Stella Kingsley, came into the contest with a personal best of 168kg (72kg+96kg), summing up the gulf between her and the rest.

Two of a mind

Partially fulfilling the promise he made to himself four years back, young Sanket Sargar won silver while Gururaja Poojary made a successful switch to the Olympics weight category.

Sargar was going for gold but injured his right elbow while attempting to lift 139kg in his second clean and jerk attempt to eventually settle for the second place in the 55kg category.

The 21-year-old managed a total of 248kg (113kg+135kg) to finish just 1kg behind Malaysia’s Mohamad Aniq, who smashed the Games record in clean and jerk as he lifted 249kg (107kg+142kg) to win gold. Sri Lanka’s Dilanka Isuru Kumara 225kg (105kg+120kg) took bronze.

Later Gururaja, the silver medallist at 2018 Gold Coast, finished third in the 61kg category to clinch India’s first-ever CWG medal in this category. Gururaj was placed fourth after snatch competition. He lifted 151kg in his final clean and jerk attempt to seal bronze with a total lift of 269kg, edging out Canada’s Youri Simard (119kg).

For Sargar, who was managing a paan shop with his father in Maharashtra’s Sangli, it is a feat to cherish. Life has thrown challenges at him and he has always found a way to overcome them. “In training, I regularly lift 143kg. I had to go for it as there was a gold at stake. I am not happy because I have been training for the last four years only for the gold. I feel I could have done better,” he said.