India’s teenage weightlifting sensation Jeremy Lalrinnunga could not breach his personal best mark but the effort of 305kg was enough to win the gold medal in the men’s 67kg category even as Achinta Sheuli became the 73kg champion at the Commonwealth Championships, on Friday.
Lalrinnunga, the 2018 Youth Olympics gold medallist, finished with the best effort of 305kg (141kg+164kg) in the men’s 67kg event. His personal best stands at 306kg (140kg+166kg) which came in 2019.
Meanwhile, Sheuli claimed the top place on the podium with an effort of 316kg (143 + 173) in the 73kg category. He had won a silver in Junior World Championships in May.
The 19-year-old Lalrinnunga also created a national record in the snatch event enroute to his podium finish but was unable to do the same in the clean and jerk section where he failed to lift 168kg. In the World Championships which are being held simultaneously with the Commonwealth Championship, the Mizo teenager was placed fourth in snatch and seventh overall.
Jeremy had suffered a knee injury in April during the Asian Championships. He had finished fourth at the Junior World Championship in May but was unable to make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics.
The Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships also serve as a qualifying event for the 2022 Commonwealth Gamez in Birmingham. The gold medalists in each weight category in the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships directly qualify for the 2022 CWG and the rest will qualify through Commonwealth rankings.
