Jeremy Lalrinnunga sets new Commonwealth Games records in gold-winning campaign

Jeremy Lalrinnunga set two new Commonwealth Games records as he claimed the gold medal in the men’s 67kg weightlifting category at the mega event on July 31.

The 19-year-old lifted a total of 300kg in the event, leaving behind Vaipava Nevo Ioane (293kg) of Samoa and Edidiong Joseph Umoafia (290kg) in second and third places respectively. The total weight lifted became a new Commonwealth Games record, helping the Indian debutant to win his first medal at the mega event.

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Jeremy, who is also India’s first-ever gold medal winner at the Youth Olympics, which he accomplished in 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina, lifted 140kg in the snatch category on Sunday. It also helped him to make a new record at the Commonwealth Games in the particular category.

Jeremy’s personal best is 306kg (140kg in snatch and 166kg in clean & grab), which he registered in December 2019. He came close to breaking his record of total weight lifted at the IWF World Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, on December 10, 2021, lifting 305kg (141kg in snatch and 164kg in clean & grab).

However, in doing so, he created a new national record for snatch with 141kg lifted. While the Mizoram native created two records at the Commonwealth Games in total weight and snatch weight lifted, he is yet to break his own personal best that he set three years ago.

Jeremy, who comes from a poor family in Mizoram, initially trained in boxing when he was growing up. His father, Lalneihtluanga, was a national level boxer during his early years, who inspired Jeremy to pick up the gloves. However, he turned his focus to weightlifting later and joined a SYS academy in his village, where he began his training. 

Also Read: Watch: Jeremy Lalrinnunga’s gold-winning lift at Commonwealth Games 2022

With the gold medal on Sunday, Jeremy has become India’s fifth overall medal winner at the Commonwealth Games 2022. The youngster has also become the second weightlifter from the country to win a gold medal at the ongoing mega event.

Sanket Sargar (silver), Saikhom Mirabai Chanu (gold), Gururaja Poojary (bronze) and Bindyarani Devi (silver) are the other Indian weightlifters who have won a medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022.