CWG 2022: Twitter triumphant as weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga gives India 2nd gold

India has won its second gold medal in the 2022 Commonwealth Games. Weightlifter Jeremy Lalrinnunga smashed records to win the same, while all India's four medals have come in the sport so far.

The Indian weightlifters are definitely on a roll in the ongoing Commonwealth Games (CWG) in Birmingham. Youngster Jeremy Lalrinnunga crashed a couple of CWG records on his way to winning an astonishing gold medal on Sunday. It has taken India's medal tally to four in the competition, while all the nation's medals so far have arrived in the weightlifting sport itself. The 2018 Youth Olympic gold-medalist conquered the men's 67kg competition, as he performed a total lift of 300kg (140kg+160kg). He finished ahead of Vaipava Nevo Ioane of Samoa, who managed 293kg (127kg +166kg). Edidiong Joseph Umoafia of Nigeria grabbed bronze by lifting 290kg (130kg+160kg).

The 19-year-old Lalrinnunga from Aizwal entered the CWG snatch record books (140kg) and an overall lift (300kg) record to his name. However, he had an injury scare, as he frowned in pain twice during his clean and jerk attempts. Jeremy opened up a massive 10kg void with his nearest rival, Umoafia, while lifting 140kg in a successful second attempt. He had started with 136kg.

Jeremy further targetted 143kg in his final attempt but failed. In Clean and Jerk, the 2021 Commonwealth Championship gold-medalist initiated with 154kg and followed it up with 160kg, but was unable to finish the 165kg attempt. It was India's fifth medal in the weightlifting sector, with Mirabai Chanu (gold), Sanket Sargar (silver), Bidyarani Devi (silver) and Gururaj Poojary (bronze) finishing on podiums on Saturday.

Son of a national-level boxer, Lalneihtluanga, Lalrinnunga was also aspiring to don the gloves. However, he shifted to weightlifting, which involved just the power to excel, which he found fascinating.

(With inputs from PTI)