Vikas Thakur bagged India's eighth medal in weightlifting category in Commonwealth Games (CWG) 2022. Thakur made a tremendous comeback to snatch the silver medal and take India's medals tally to 12. In the men's 96 kg category, he lifted a total of 346 kg (155 kg snatch plus 191 kg clean and jerk) to finish on the podium.
Samoa's Don Obeloge was way ahead of the competition with a CWG record of 381 kg (171 kg snatch plus 210 kg clean and jerk). Fiji's Taniela Rainibogi bagged the silver medal with a total lift of 343 kg (155 kg snatch plus 188 kg in clean and jerk).
"Last time in 2018, I had to change my category and in 85kg Rahul (Venkat Ragala) had defeated him (Opeloge). I had an injury and had to play in 94kg and won the bronze (at Gold Coast).
"It's good for us that the standard is improving in CWG. We have been dominating in this discipline. But we have to still work hard to achieve the world standard," Thakur said.
Thakur, a five-time Commonwealth Championships medallist, had three clean lifts of 149kg, 153kg and 155kg to be in joint third-position after the snatch round.
In the clean and jerk section, Thakur started off with a 187kg lift, which he executed perfectly.
With a silver assured, Thakur went for 198kg, a kilogram more than his personal best, in his third attempt but was unsuccessful.
But the event belonged to Opeloge, who smashed the Games record in snatch, clean and jerk and total lift.
