Lovepreet Singh sets CWG snatch record, wins silver in men's +110kg weightlifting
India's Lovepreet Singh broke the Commonwealth Games snatch record and came within a kilogram of gold before settling for silver in the men's +110kg weightlifting event here on Thursday, July 30.
The 28-year-old lifted a total of 388kg (176kg in snatch, 212kg in clean and jerk) but was edged out by New Zealand's David Andrew Liti, who won gold with 389kg (166kg+223kg) after producing a Games record lift in the clean and jerk. England's Andrew Griffith took bronze with a total of 356kg (165kg+191kg).
Lovepreet, who had won bronze at the previous edition of the Games, improved on that result this time, ending a run of three medal-less weightlifting events for India. The silver capped a successful campaign for the Indian weightlifting contingent, which finished with eight medals overall with one gold, six silver and one bronze.
Lovepreet hails from Bal Sikander village in Punjab's border district of Amritsar and comes from a modest family background; his father works as a tailor, and his grandfather earned a living selling vegetables.
Encouraged by his family to pursue sport rather than the family trade, he took up weightlifting at age 13 at the DAV Ground and has since become one of India's leading heavyweight lifters.
"I thought I would win gold after snatch but it was up to god. Little disappointed that I couldn't lift in my final attempt in clean and jerk, I have lifted more in training," Lovepreet said after the competition.
Lovepreet was in strong form in the snatch, opening with 168kg before extending to 173kg. He then set a Games record with a clean 176kg lift on his third attempt, taking a 10kg lead into the clean and jerk.
His position as gold-medal favourite was further strengthened by the early exit of Samoa's Sanele Mao, who failed all three snatch attempts at 175kg.
Liti staged a comeback in the clean and jerk, opening with 207kg to cut into the deficit. Lovepreet matched his personal best of 212kg on his second attempt, and, cheered on by chants of "Come on Jatta" and "Come on Singh," attempted a bold 217kg on his final lift which was a mark that would have broken the Games record and secured gold. He managed to clean the weight but could not complete the jerk.
That opening allowed Liti to produce a massive 223kg lift, a new Games record in the clean and jerk, to claim gold by the narrowest of margins.
(With inputs from PTI)
