Weightlifting gold rush continues, Punam Yadav claims 5th for India

Gold Coast: The gold rush continued in weightlifting for India as Punam Yadav added a fifth to the tally with a top finish in the 69kg category of the 21st Commonwealth Games here today. Yadav, a bronze medallist from the 2014 Glasgow edition, lifted 222kg (110kg+122kg) to claim gold ahead of England’s Sarah Davies, who finished with 217kg (95kg+122kg).

The Englishwoman went for a 128kg lift in her final clean and jerk attempt in pursuit of gold but could not complete it and dropped the bar. Yadav had claimed a silver at last year’s Commonwealth Championships last year, her first event after making the jump from 63kg to 69kg category.

The bronze medal was won by Fiji’s Apolonia Vaivai with an effort of 216kg (100kg+116kg). Earlier Mirabai Chanu (48kg), Sanjita Chanu (53kg), Sathish Sivalingam (77kg) and Venkat Rahul Ragala (85kg) had claimed gold medals in the ongoing edition.