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It is generally a smooth ride for Indian weightlifters at the Commonwealth Games (CWG). However, it was a bit different for promising Popy Hazarika when she stepped on the platform at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games on Sunday.
The promising 23-year-old Indian lifter finished a disappointing seventh amongst 10 athletes, which temporarily halted India’s good run in the discipline.
A couple of hours before Popy’s competition started, India’s talented lifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga braved muscle cramps to win the gold medal in the men’s 67kg on his debut at the Commonwealth Games.
Having won a silver medal at the 2021 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Tashkent in December 2021, Popy was expected to earn a podium finish on her debut in Birmingham.
The thrower turned weightlifter from Assam began her campaign by lifting 81kg in snatch. Popy, however, failed to lift 84kg and 86kg in her second and third attempts, respectively, to rank seventh overall.
For the Indian lifter to move up the ladder, extraordinary efforts were needed during the clean and jerk event. The Indian wasn’t successful in her first attempt to lift 102kg. However, she had to dig deep to clear the 102kg lift on her second attempt. Popy failed to lift 107kg on her third and final attempt. Her best total for the day was 183kg.
Popy falters as Rafiatu Folashade Lawal takes home the gold medal at CWG 2022
Nigeria’s 25-year-old Rafiatu Folashade Lawal took home the gold medal with a CWG record in snatch as well in the total lift.
Rafiatu lifted 90kg in snatch, a CWG record. In clean and jerk, her best lift was 116kg. Her total of 206kg is also a CWG record.
England’s Jessica Gordon Brown of won the silver medal with a total score of 197kg. In snatch, she lifted 86kg, while in clean and jerk she lifted 111kg.
Tali Darsigny, 23, of Canada, won the bronze medal with a total score of 196kg. Her best lift in snatch was 87kg, while she lifted 109kg in clean and jerk.
