TASHKENT (Uzbekistan): The Indian weightlifting contingent consisting of Gyaneshwari Yadav, Ditimoni Sonowal and Valluri Ajaya Babu failed to secure a medal in the Asian Weightlifting Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from February 3.
The competition will go on till February 10. Gyaneshwari Yadav participated in the women’s 49 kg Olympic event, Ditimoni Sonowal and Valluri Ajaya Babu were a part of the non-Olympic weight categories.
Performing a total lift of 178 kg — 79 in snatch and 99 kg in clean and jerk — Gyaneshwari secured an eighth-place finish after she failed in her third attempt at lifting 81 kg in snatch and 102 kg in clean and jerk on Sunday.
Athletes competing in this tournament will get to earn Olympic Qualification Rankings (OQR) in Olympic weight classes. The points will be based on the best total results athletes get in qualifying competitions.
The top 10 weightlifters based on OQR, which will have the highest-ranked athletes per country in each weight category, will secure Olympic quotas for Paris 2024 for national teams after the qualification cycle ends in April.
Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu, who is also the Commonwealth Games champion in the 49 kg category, gave the event a skip.
North Korea’s secured the gold in women’s 49kg category and established a world record in her category, with a lift of 220kg – 95kg in snatch and a world record 125kg in clean and jerk. She was 29 kg clear of Japan’s Rira Suzuki who got the silver medal, and lifted 191 kg. Philippines’ Rosegie Ramos lifted 190kg in total for her bronze medal.
In the non-Olympic women’s 64 kg category, Ditimoni Sonowal earned a fourth-place finish with 194 kg lift, 83 kg in snatch and 111 kg in clean and jerk —on Tuesday. The gold was bagged by Ri Suk following a 253 kg lift for North Korea. Chinese Taipei’s Li Wei-Chia (203 kg) and Park Min-kyung of the Republic of Korea (202 kg) got silver and bronze medals as well.
On Wednesday, Valluri Ajaya Babu earned a sixth-spot finish in the men’s 81 kg category, with a combined lift of 297 kg — 137 kg in snatch and 160 kg in clean and jerk. The gold was bagged by Ri Chong Song following a lift of 369 kg — 169 kg in snatch and 200 kg in clean and jerk. Kazakhstan’s Alexandr Uvarov took home the silver with 343 kg and Gaygysyz Torayev of Turkmenistan bagged the bronze with a total lift of 337 kg. (ANI)