Golden finish for Kiwi lifters
GOLD COAST: New Zealand’s final lifter on the platform last night delivered the country’s first weightlifting medal, a gold, plus a Commonwealth Games record.
David Liti (21), competing in the men’s 105kgplus class, lifted a total of 403kg — nailing a 229kg clean and jerk on his final attempt — to take the record and gold on the Gold Coast.
In the final lift of the night, Pakistan’s Muhammad Nooh Dastgir Butt stalled early in his attempt at 231kg, handing the gold to Liti.
Earlier, frontrunner Samoa’s Lautiti Lui appeared to injure himself badly in his final clean and jerk attempting to lift 228kg.
Liti was the last of New Zealand’s 12strong team to compete.
‘‘Shout out to the fern, love you,’’ a delighted Liti told the television cameras.
Earlier, Kiwi gold medal favourite Laurel Hubbard pulled out of her 95kgplus competition after injuring her left elbow while attempting a Games snatch record of 132kg.
Stanislav Chalaev (31) also pulled out halfway through the men’s 105kg Commonwealth Games competition after becoming dehydrated while trying to make the weight. The Russianborn lifter had snatched 148kg but did not compete in the clean and jerk.
‘‘He was trying to come down to a body weight under 105kg and it’s hotter in the venue today than it has been in the last few days,’’ New Zealand high performance director Simon Kent said.
‘‘Then . . . his coaches acted on medical advice and made the call for him to withdraw.’’
Tracey Lambrechs (32), who won bronze in the 75kgplus in Glasgow and also competed in Delhi, finished fifth in the women’s 90kg class, clearing 93kg in the snatch and 120kg in the clean and jerk.
Lambrechs immediately indicated her retirement by leaving her shoes on the platform. —AAP