CWG 2022: Jeremy Lalrinnunga wins gold, India’s 5th medal at Commonwealth Games

Jeremy Lalrinnunga won the gold medal in Men’s 67 kg weightlifting, to clinch India’s 5th medal at Commonwealth Games 2022. Jeremy lifted a total of 300 kg, with 140 kg in snatch, and 160 kg in clean and jerk round.

The 19-year-old won India’s second gold medal in Birmingham 2022, with Mirabai Chanu having won the first gold medal earlier on Saturday.

Samoa’s Vaipava Nevo Ioane took the silver medal with 293kg (127kg and 166kg) while Nigeria’s Edidiong Joseph Umoafia clinched the bronze medal with an overall lift of 290kg (130kg and 160kg) as the 10kg gap made in snatch by Jeremy proved to be decisive.

At the National Exhibition Centre, Jeremy began with a 136kg lift in his first attempt in the snatch phase of the competition, taking the lead immediately.

He later improved that with a 140kg lift and despite being unsuccessful in the third attempt of lifting 143kg, which could have been his personal best, Jeremy remained on top of the competition at the end of the snatch phase with a 10kg lead.

In the clean & jerk round, Jeremy began with a successful lift of 154kg, but in the process, he injured himself. He came back to successfully lift 160kg in the second attempt and took his aggregate to 300kg.

But he again fell down immediately and felt some pain in the back after completing the lift.

Despite not being at his 100 per cent best, Jeremy tried to lift 165kg but failed to do so and clutched his left elbow immediately.

The support staff had to take a teary Jeremy quickly to the backstage. Ioane couldn’t lift 174kg in his final attempt of clean and jerk, giving Jeremy and India a gold medal.