CWG 2022: Weightlifter Vikas Thakur clinches silver as India’s medal rush continues

Birmingham, Aug 2: The medal rush continued in Birmingham, as Indian weightlifter Vikas Thakur took India’s medal tally to twelve with a silver medal winning effort in the men’s 96kg weightlifting final.

Amongst the twelve medal in India’s kitty, eight have now come from weightlifting. This is Thakur’s third Commonwealth Games medal across three editions. Thakur had previously won silver in the 2014 Glasgow Games and then bronze in the 2018 Gold Coast Games.

Participating in the men’s 96kg category, the seasoned Vikas Thakur started his campaign with a successful lift of 149kgs in his first snatch attempt in the final. Thakur followed it up with a successful lift of 153kgs on his second snatch attempt.

In his final snatch attempt, the India lifter successfully lift 155kgs in the men’s 96kg final. Thakur was successful in all three lifts in the snatch round.

At the end of the snatch round, Samoa’s Don Opeloge led the standings with a best lift of 171kgs. Opelege’s final lift of 171kgs put him 13kgs ahead of the others in the fray. Opelege first lift of 161kgs, was followed up with a successful lift of 166kgs and then 171kgs. Opeloge’s closest rival was England’s Cyrille Tchatchet with a best lift of 158, while Thakur’s best lift of 155kgs places him third, along with Fiji’s Taniela Tuisiva Rainibogi.

In the clean & jerk category, Vikas Thakur started with 185kgs weight. Thakur successfully lift 187kgs in his first clean & jerk attempt. Following his first lift, Thakur’s was 342kgs.

Thakur followed it up with a successful lift of 191 in his second attempt, but failed to lift 198kgs in his third. But his lift of 191, took his total to 346kgs (155+191). Thakur finished behind Opeloge, who won gold with a record lift of 381kgs (171+210). The bronze medal went to Fiji’s Rainibogi.

Thakur’s medal saw India clinch their third medal of the day, after the Lawn Bowls team clinched a historic gold and the men’s table tennis team defended their gold medal. Adding three to their overnight kitty, India now have 12 medals to their name - including five gold medals, four silver medals and three bronze medals.