CWG: Sanjita Chanu wins weightlifting gold
New Delhi: Sanjita Chanu on Friday struck the second gold medal for India in the Commonwealth Games 2018 at Gold Coast. The 24-year old athlete lifted a total weight of 192 kg, 84 kg in snatch and 108 kg in clean-and-jerk, as she went on to claim her second consecutive gold medal. But speaking to reporters after her achievement, the Manipuri weightlifter said that she is upset she could not break all the Games records.
“Had I not dropped my last lift, I would have created a Games record. I really wanted to do it. I missed it and I am a bit sad about that. But I guess it’s ok, I don’t know,” she was quoted as saying by news agency PTI after winning the gold in the 53 kg category. Chanu attempted to lift 113 kg in her final attempt of clean-and-jerk, one kg higher than the previous best, but she failed to do so.
“I had come thinking of breaking the record and lift 112kg (the CWG record stands at 111kg), I thought it was not that difficult. Probably god was not with me today,” she said. “I became a little stiff during my clean lift and I probably didn’t push too well in the jerk,” she added.
The athlete, who suffered a back injury just a few days before the World Championships, said that she was not 100 percent fit before her competition. “My back injury was a concern before coming here too, I have barely trained for 15 days for this competition. I am still 10 percent lacking in fitness. The physio has been working on me outside the competition arena,” she said. The lifter further thanked those who supported her with her injury woes. “Because of this injury, I still cannot train too hard. I have been lucky to get good support which has kept me motivated,” she said.
Sanjita further said that she is glad she proved her doubters wrong. “It was months of pressure finally coming down. I am glad I could prove those wrong who were saying that I had no chance of a medal just because I came second in the Nationals,” she said.
