Birmingham: Samoan Don Opeloge won the gold in the 96kg category Men’s Weightlifting here at the . Meanwhile, Vikas Thakur betters himself from bronze in Gold Coast to achieve India’s fourth silver at Birmingham. It was India’s sixth medal in weightlifting in the current event.
Vikas Thakur started with 149kg moving forward to 153 and an eventual 155 in the snatch. On the other hand, the gold medalist Don Opeloge started off with 161kg and pulled off 171 kg on the snatch. In the clean & jerk, Vikas pulled off 191kg to aggregate a total of 346. The Samoan Opeloge clinched gold by taking an aggregate of 381 which is a Commonwealth Games record. Taniela Tuisuva Rainibogi of Fiji won the bronze after pullling of 155kg in snatch and 190kg in clean and jerk.
Don Opeloge had a confidence and a play paralled by none. He came in last but qualified first. Opeloge was the sheep who didn’t follow the herd. He went all out in the snatch with his first lift being 161 kg, 6 above the runner-up. Additionally, he started the second phase with 210 kg. Not Don was poised to win but also continue his legacy. His victory meant Samoa earning their first Gold of the Games.
Vikas Thakur’s first medal in Commonwealth Games came in 2014 Glasgow. He won a silver in the category. Later on, he shifted his weight category. Even so, Thakur managed a bronze in 2018 Gold Coast. Thakur with his win at Birmingham has now completed a hattrick of Commonwealth Podium Finishes
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