Lifter Thakur takes bronze at CWG

Gold Coast (Australia): India's Vikas Thakur took bronze in the men's 94 kilogram category of the weightlifting competition at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Sunday.

Thakur registered a total of 351 kg which inlcuded 159 kg in snatch and 192 kg in clean and jerk.

Defending champion Steven Kari of Papua New Guinea won a second consecutive CWG title with a total of 370 kg.

He cleared 154 kg in snatch before creating a new Commonwealth and CWG record by lifting 216 kg in the clean and jerk.

Canada's Boady Santavy took the silver medal with an aggregate of 369 kg. He created a new CWG record by lifting 168 kg in snatch and managed a best effort of 201 kg in clean and jerk.

Thakur cleared 152 kg with ease in his opening attempt in the snatch to shoot into the lead.

Ghana's Forrester Christopher Osei however, successfully lifted 153 kg immediately after to take pole position.

The lead changed hands once again as defending champion Stephen Kari of Papua New Guinea cleared 154 kilograms.

Canada's Boady Santavy however, blew away the competition with a best attempt of 168 kg to reset the CWG record.

The previous record of 167 kg was set by Aleksan Karapetyn of Australia at the 2002 edition in Manchester, England.

Kari could only manage 154 kg in the snatch.

But he powered away to glory in the clean and jerk with an opening attempt of 202 kg before creating a new CWG record with 216 kg.

He attempted to break the CWG record for a second time by going for 217 kg in his third and last attempt. But he could not complete that lift.

The previous clean and jerk record at the CWG was created by Australia's Kiril Kounev at the 1998 Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Kari's total also equalled the CWG record set by Kounev in 1998.

Thakur, who had taken silver in the 85 kg division at the 2014 CWG in Glasgow, Scotland, registered some of his best lifts in international competition.

He managed to clear 156 kg and 159 kg in his final two attempts which assured him a place on the podium.