Mirabai wins gold at CWG, Rishikanta settles for silver

Glasgow, Jul 26
Mirabai Chanu reminded the world why she remains the undisputed queen of Indian weightlifting, delivering a performance worthy of a champion as she clinched her third successive Commonwealth Games gold medal in the women’s 48kg category here on Sunday.
However, two missed clean and jerk attempts proved costly for India's Chanambam Rishikanta Singh as he signed off with the silver medal in the men's 60kg weightlifting competition at the Commonwealth Games here on Sunday.
The result was never really in doubt; the only question was how far Mirabai would push the limits. And the Manipuri superstar answered in emphatic style, rewriting the record books with a stunning display of strength and composure.
The 31-year-old shattered the Commonwealth Games records in the snatch, while also setting new CWG marks in clean and jerk and total.
She lifted a commanding 190kg, with a best effort of 85kg in snatch and 105kg in clean and jerk.
Her dominance was such that silver medallist Ruth Asuquo Nyong of Nigeria finished a distant second with a total lift of 168kg, a staggering 22kg behind Mirabai’s winning effort.
Chanu's competition began when everyone else in the field was done.
The journey to another golden moment was not without a scare. Mirabai endured a nervous start, failing to register her opening snatch attempt at 82kg.
But true to her champion’s temperament, she quickly regained her rhythm, showing the grit and class that have defined her remarkable career.
Even in the clean and jerk, Mirabai faced a brief moment of uncertainty, failing to complete her opening attempt. However, the Olympic medallist responded like a champion, effortlessly hoisting the same 105kg weight in her second attempt.
The lift not only secured the gold but also shattered the Commonwealth Games record in the clean and jerk category and bettered the total lift mark.
With the contest already sealed, Mirabai chose not to take unnecessary risks and skipped her third attempt, keeping in mind the Asian Games, scheduled less than two months away.
Chanambam Rishikanta Singh finished with a total of 264kg (121kg+143kg), matching the Commonwealth Games record in the snatch with a superb opening display before faltering in the clean and jerk.
Rishikanta cleared 121kg in the snatch to equal the Games record and entered the clean and jerk in pole position.
However, he could only manage 143kg after failing his last two attempts in clean and jerk, allowing Malaysia's Mohamad Aniq Kasdan to snatch the gold.
Kasdan also lifted 121kg in the snatch before producing a Games record of 152kg in the clean and jerk for a winning total of 273kg, rewriting both the clean and jerk and overall Commonwealth Games records.
Kenya's Joshua Amunga Mboya claimed the bronze with a total lift of 260kg (115kg+145kg), edging out Sri Lanka's SDSS Wiriduwagle, who managed 244kg (109kg+135kg).
The silver was India's first medal in an able-bodied event at the ongoing Games. PTI