Mirabai Chanu won India’s first gold medal at Commonwealth Games. (PTI Photo)
Mirabai Chanu clinched India’s first gold medal at Commonwealth Games 2018 on Thursday. The Indian lifted a Commonwealth record of 196kg to give the country its first gold on the opening day of the Games. In stunning manner, Chanu broke six records in her six lifts including her personal best of 194kg. CWG 2018 LIVE
The 23-year-old World Champion improved her silver-medal-winning performance in Glasgow four years ago to win the gold medal in Gold Coast. In her snatch lift she lifted 80kg and then improved it to 84kg and finally 86kg in her second and third attempt.
She stunned everyone when she lifted more then double of her body weight in clean and jerk with a lift of 103kg. She lifted that weight with ease. In her second attempted, she increased 4kg and lifted 107kg. Her final lift was of 110kg which was her personal best, better than 109kg she had lifted at the World Championships.
The total of 196kg in Gold Coast is now the new personal best for Chanu and also the new National Record. The 23-year-old’s previous best was a total lift of 194kg (snatch 85kg and 109kg in clean and jerk) achieved in the World Championships a few months ago.
Her nearest but still a very distant rival, Amanda Braddock of Canada failed to complete a single lift in the clean and jerk after managing a best of 76kg in snatch. Earlier, P Gururaja claimed a silver medal in the men’s 56kg event to open India’s medal account in the quadrennial extravaganza.