CWG Weightlifting: Bala Chanu’s relentless workout gets her gold
By Bharat Sharma, IANSWednesday, October 6, 2010
NEW DELHI - India’s Renu Bala Chanu brought more gold from the Jawharlal Nehru Sports Complex, winning the 58kg women’s event for the second successive time at the Commonwealth Games, having done it in Melbourne four years ago.
Renu lifted an overall 197kg (90 kg snatch and 107 kg in clean and jerk), seven kg more than she achieved four years ago, to give India their first weightlifting gold of the Games after the two silver and two bronze medals Monday.
The 24-year-old had aggregated 185kg to win the gold last time around.
“I trained three times a day for this gold. I trained during the nights and never cared about my sleep. It means a lot to me,” said an emotional Chanu.
“Last time I had lifted very less and still won the gold. My aim was to lift as much as I can this time,” She added.
Australia’s Seen Lee came second best in the competition, lifting 192kg (86 kg in snatch and 106 kg in clean and jerk) in a battle that was very much confined to her and the Indian.
The biggest surprise came when 16-year-old Zoe Smith of England lifted a decent 188kg (85 kg in snatch and 103 kg in clean and jerk) to secure the bronze medal in her first ever senior international event. The Gymnast turned weightlifter also won the gold in the Youth Commonwealth Games in 2008 in Pune.
Nigerian Winifred Eze Ndidi was expected to give Chanu a hard time, but she suffered an injury while tying for 84kgs in snatch and pulled out.
On the success of the Indian weightlifter, Karnam Malleshwari, the Sydney Olympic bronze medallist, predicted before the Games started that Chanu will surely win a gold medal.
Another medal hope, K. Ravi Kumar will compete in the 69kg category later in the day.
–Indo–Asian News Service
