2018 Commonwealth Games: Sanjita Chanu wins gold in women’s 53 kg weightlifting

Sanjita Chanu finished first in the women’s 53 kg weightlifting finals on the second day of the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast on Friday. (CWG 2018 live updates)

The Manipuri star lifted a total of 192 kg which included a CWG record of 84 kg in the snatch and 108 kg in clean and jerk.

Defending champion Loa Dika Toua of Papua New Guinea was a distant second with 182 kg while New Zealand’s Rachel Leblanc-Bazinet took bronze with 181 kg.

Chanu had also won gold in the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games in the women’s 48 kg category.

She took the lead in the snatch with an opening attempt of 81 kilograms.

New Zealand’s Rachel, who had managed 78 kg in her first attempt, joined Sanjita at the pole position by lifting 81 kg in her second attempt.

But Sanjita showed her class by equalling the CWG record of 83 kg in her second attempt to regain the lead.

The Kiwi, whose best lift in training has been 82 kg, made a brave and futile attempt to match the CWG record.

The Indian then walked out to set a new CWG record at 84 kg and take the lead. The previous CWG record of 83 kg was set by compatriot Swarti Singh at the Glasgow Games in 2014.

Things were even easier for Sanjita in the clean and jerk as none of her rivals managed to produce even a semblance of a challenge.

This is India’s third medal in the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. On Thursday, P Gururaja got India on the board with a second-place finish in the men’s 56 kg final.

India will hope for more medals in weightlifting as the day progresses, with Saraswati Rout and Deepak Lather in action later today.

(With inputs from IANS)