Jeremy Lalrinnunga delivered India’s fifth medal of the ongoing Commonwealth Games 2022, when he won the gold medal in the 67kg event in Weightlifting on Sunday afternoon. The 19-year-old lifted a total of 300 kg to claim the gold medal on July 31.
The 19-year-old began on a strong note, lifting 140kg in the snatch category. Jeremy started with a successful attempt of 136kg in the first attempt of snatch. He made an increase of 4kg in the second attempt, however, could not lift the 143kg in his final snatch attempt. This also helped him to take a 10kg lead over his closest opponent at that time, Edidiong Joseph Umoafia of Nigeria, in the snatch category.
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The Indian athlete began the Clean & Jerk category strong as well, lifting 154kg in the first attempt. However, he looked to have picked up an injury in his left thigh during his second attempt of 160kg. However, he completed the attempt successfully.
Jeremy’s injury came back to haunt him in the third attempt of 165kg, as he left the weight and fell in the side and needed medical attention on stage. This meant that his second attempt of 160kg was deemed his best in the category.
Vaipava Nevo Ioane of Samoa clinched the silver medal at the event, while Nigeian Edidiong Joseph Umoafia won the bronze medal on Sunday.
Jeremy Lalrinnunga bagged the 14th medal of his career when he claimed the medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022 on Sunday. The youngster is also India’s first-ever gold medal winner at the Youth Olympics, and since beginning to compete at events in 2016, has won an impressive 13 other medals. His victory on Sunday means that all five medals that India have won in the Commonwealth Games in the ongoing 2022 edition, have come from Weightlifting. The gold medal on Sunday also meant that Jeremy has now won India’s second gold medal in weightlifting in the 2022 edition, after Saikhom Mirabai Chanu.
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Before Jeremy, Sanket Sargar, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, Gururaja Poojary and Bindyarani Devi have won medals in weightlifting for India in the ongoing edition.
Born in Aizawl, Mizoram, Jeremy’s earliest introduction to the sport came in 2011 when he left boxing and began weightlifting training at a SYS academy in his village. He was later selected in the Army Sports Institute trials, after which he did not look back again.