Chanu and Ravi Kumar annex titles to give a boost to the sport mired in doping controversy.
The stadium erupted in joy as Australia’s Seen Lee failed to lift the 111kg in her final attempt. Reason? It brought India its first gold in weightlifting. The smiles were finally back in India’s weightlifting camp. Thank Renu Bala Chanu’s stupendous effort for that. Chanu, at her best on Wednesday, comfortably clinching India’s ninth gold, first in weightlifting, also retained her women’s 58kg title.
More joy was to follow in the evening. K Ravi Kumar set a CWG record on his way to the gold in men’s 69kg category. He broke the Games record lifting 321 kg (146+175) and surpassed Cameroon’s Venecelas Dabaya’s total of 310kg, achieved in the 2002 Manchester Games. It is also a new Commonwealth Championships record.
India has now won six medals in weightlifting, having already won two silvers and two bronze on Monday. But the gold medals have lifted the spirits of the Indians, who have had very difficult few months because of doping.
“I dedicate this to all my fellow weightlifters and our federation. All of us have been through tough times of late so this brings some joy,” Chanu said.
It was an equally satisfying moment for chief coach Harnam Singh, who finally smiled at the end of a weightlifting event in three days. “I knew a gold medal was on its way. This is just the beginning. There are more to follow,” Harnam said.
Bala, who turned 24 on Saturday, set a new Games’ record by lifting 90kg in the snatch before piling on the pressure with a clean and jerk of 107 for a 197kg total.
Results: Men’s 69 kg: Ravi Katulu (Ind), Chinthana Vidanage (SL), Mohd Mansor (Mas); Women’s 58 kg: Renu Bala Chanu (Ind), Seen Lee (Aus), Zoe Smith (Eng)
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