Weightlifters shine again

Gold Coast, April 8: Weightlifters continued to shine for India, with Pum Yadav (69kg) and Vikas Thakur (94kg) winning gold and bronze medals respectively on the fourth day of the Commonwealth Games here on Sunday.

Pum lifted a total of 222 kg which included 100 kg in stch and 122 kg in clean and jerk. England’s Sarah Davies took silver with 217 kg, while Apolonia Vaivai of Fiji lifted 216 kg for the bronze.

The 22-year-old Pum from Varasi joined fellow weightlifters Mirabai Chanu, Sanjita Chanu, Sathish Sivalingam and Venkat Rahul Ragala in clinching gold medals here.

Vikas registered a total of 351 kg which inlcuded 159 kg in stch and 192 kg in clean and jerk. Defending champion Steven Kari of Papua New Guinea won a second consecutive CWG title with a total of 370 kg. He cleared 154 kg in stch before creating a new Commonwealth and CWG record by lifting 216 kg in the clean and jerk.

Cada’s Boady Santavy took the silver medal with an aggregate of 369 kg. He created a new CWG record by lifting 168 kg in stch and maged a best effort of 201 kg in clean and jerk.

The third Indian weightlifter in the day, Seema finished sixth in the women’s 75kg, lifting a total of 189kg — 84kg in stch and 105 kg in clean and jerk. She started with an 80kg lift in the stch before maging an effort of 84 kg. In the clean and jerk rounds, her lifts were 100 kg and 105kg respectively. She failed to lift 108kg in her third and fil effort.

After Sunday, India has eight medals from the weightlifting competitions. Pum’s gold also meant that the country has five gold medals in an edition of the CWG for the first time. IANS