Veteran weightlifter Kunjarani Devi fetched India the first gold of the 18th Commonwealth Games by winning the women's 48 kg weight category with a new clean-and-jerk record at Melbourne on Thursday.
Kunjarani had won three gold in this category in the last edition of the event in Manchester but this time only one gold was up for grabs and the veteran lifter did not disappoint.
She, however, had a tense beginning in snatch after she failed to lift 70kg in her first attempt when the weight slipped off her hands. She, however, was soon in her elements, lifting the weight in her next attempt and went on to improve it, lifting 74 kg in her third attempt.
There was no problem in clean-and-jerk as well as she lifted 88kg, increased it to 91 and then rewrote her own previous record of 92 kg by successfully lifting a weight of 94 kg that took her aggregate to 166 and fetched Indias first gold in the Games.
The silver went to Canadian Marilou Prevost Dozois who lifted 165 kg (73+92) and host countrys Erika Yamasaki had to be satisfied with bronze at 153 (69+84).
{{/usCountry}}The silver went to Canadian Marilou Prevost Dozois who lifted 165 kg (73+92) and host countrys Erika Yamasaki had to be satisfied with bronze at 153 (69+84).
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