Jeremy Lalrinnunga records personal best at World Weightlifting meet
Champion Chen Lijun defends his title as a world record tumbles in clean and jerk .
India’s Jeremy Lalrinnunga put up a valiant effort in the men’s 67kg category of the 2019 World Weightlifting Championships in Pattaya, Thailand.
Though the total lift of 296kg (136+160) by the 2018 Youth Olympics gold medallist was a kilogram short of the world youth record, his effort could only fetch him the 21st spot on the standings whereas Chen Lijun of China defended his title with an effort of 337kg (150+187).
Learning curve
Lalrinnunga started his day with an attempt of 132kg in the snatch, only to better it by 136kg in his second attempt, his personal best. However, a failed attempt of 139kg followed in his third, leaving him down in 18th spot in the standings.
The 16-year-old returned stronger in the clean and jerk segment and started with a lift of 160kg in his first attempt, but a failed try in his second and third meant, he was stranded down the pecking order in the category.
Records tumble
The Indian’s efforts were some way short of the pacesetters as the likes of Feng Lyudong (China), Daniyar Ismayilov (Turkey) and defending champion Lijun began in familiar fashion. While Lyudong topped the snatch segment, Ismayilov and Lijun were second and third, separated only by their body weight.
Lyudong began with a 148kg lift in his first effort while managing a 153kg in the third. Though he was called out for an invalid effort in the third, it barely mattered as the lifters behind him didn’t come close to challenging the Chinese.
Ismayilov fades off
While Ismayilov stayed in the hunt for a medal until the snatch segment, the Turkish lifter had a disastrous time in clean and jerk as he couldn’t go beyond 166kg, his weight in the first attempt, with two of his lifts being ruled invalid.
Meanwhile, reigning champion Lijun kept his composure to complete three clean lifts of 178kg, 184kg and 187kg to defend his title.
It was North Korea’s Pak Jong Ju, however, who set the floor ablaze to set a new world record in the segment with a lift of 188kg in his third attempt, smashing the previous best of 185kg held by Lijun.