WEIGHTLIFTING
Gold Coast,
April 7: Indian weightlifters remained well ahead of their competitors, despite being hampered by the absence of a fulltime physio, as Sathish Sivalingam ( 77kg) and Venkat Rahul Ragala ( 85kg) won golds at the Commonwealth Games here on Saturday.
The two medals on the day lifted India’s gold count to four, after those from Mirabai Chanu ( 48kg) and Sanjita Chanu ( 53kg) on the first two days.
India have won six medals so far, all claimed by weighlifters, with P. Gururaja ( 56kg) and Deepak Lather’s ( 69kg) bagging silver and bronze respectively.
Sivalingam, the defending champion, and Rahul overcame a thigh injury to win. The 25- year- old lifted a total of 317kg ( 114kg+ 173kg) and was so far ahead of his competitors that he forfeited his final clean and jerk lift.
Jack Oliver of England bagged silver with 312kg ( 145kg+ 167kg). The bronze went to Australia’s Francois Etoundi, who lifted 305kg ( 136kg+ 169kg) and collapsed clutching his injured shoulder after his final lift.
At the 2014 CWG in Glasgow, Sathish won gold lifting a total of 328kg ( 149kg snatch and 179kg clean and jerk). His lift of 149kg in snatch is a Games record.
Rahul, nursing a knee injury, was given tough competition by Samoa’s Don Opeloge, who ultimately came in second.
Both Indian lifters said winning was a bonus considering their injuries and absence of physio Aakrant Saxena, who did not have access to the athletes in the competition area due to an accreditation fiasco.
“I had no hopes of winning a medal after I injured my thigh during the national championships while attempting 194kg in clean and jerk. It’s a quadriceps problem, even now I am competing at less than ideal fitness but I am glad that it was enough to get me a gold,” Sivalingam said.
“I was in so much pain that even sitting was very painful. Everyone took care of me, gave me hope but I was not very confident. I had not trained that hard and my body was not at its best, how could I hope for a medal?” said the Tamil Nadu lifter.
Rahul, who is a Commonwealth Championships gold- medallist, lifted a total of 338kg ( 151kg+ 187kg) to finish on top. Rahul lifted 351kg ( 156kg+ 195kg) in the C o m m o n w e a l t h Championships last year.
“I had been weakened by a knee injury during the C o m m o n w e a l t h Championships last year. But the coaches supported me immensely to get this medal. I haven’t been able to train that well,” Rahul said, adding: “I have still not fully recovered.”
Rahul was locked in a close battle with Opeloge, who ended with a total of 331kg ( 151kg+ 180kg).
Both lifters opted for 191kg as their final clean and jerk lift and both failed but Rahul clinched the top prize owing to Opeloge’s failed second attempt at an 188kg lift.
“This is the most important medal of my career,” said Rahul, whose father R. Madhu was also a national level weightlifter.