A teenage weightlifter from India overcame muscular spasms to break two Commonwealth Games records and win gold in 2022.
The victory of Jeremy Lalrinnunga at the Birmingham Games earned India its fifth medal and second gold.
Lalrinnunga stated after his victory, “I feel like I’m in a different universe and living a dream.” “This is my first significant senior-level tournament since the 2018 Youth Olympics.”
On Sunday, the 19-year-old from the north-eastern Indian state of Mizoram competed in the men’s 67kg weightlifting final.
Lalrinnunga’s initial lift of 136 kg was followed by a successful lift of 140 kilograms, which set a Games record.
He next lifted 160 kilograms in the clean and jerk category, bringing his total to 300 kilograms, another record.
Achinta Sheuli, 20, won gold in the 73 kg weightlifting division hours later, giving India its sixth medal of the Games. Other Indian medalists include weightlifters Mirabai Chanu, who won gold, Bindyarani Devi, Sanket Sagar, and Gururaja Poojary, who won bronze.
The news of Lalrinnunga, who has fought with back and knee issues since the Commonwealth Championships in December 2021, has caused India considerable delight, with thousands of people going to social media to praise and congratulate him.
The teenage athlete who was observed grimacing in discomfort during one of the lifts stated on Sunday that his anterior thigh and inner thigh muscles cramped during the competition.
“I never followed the other lifts since they were so terrible,” he stated after winning the gold medal. “I cried openly and asked the coach, “Did I get a medal?” Coach [Vijay Sharma] sir reassured me, “We have the gold,” which helped calm my anxiety.”
He shared his success on Twitter, writing: “Without the support of my nation, I would not have been able to lift three tonnes over my shoulder. This is only the beginning of gold!”
Lalrinnunga was born in 2002 in the town of Aizawl, Mizoram. His father, Lalneihtluanga, is a junior national champion boxer.
His father informed that he would take an eight-year-old Lalrinnunga to a nearby boxing academy.
Lalrinnunga has referred to boxing as his “first passion,” but he moved to weightlifting after observing classmates training at the academy.
As a child, he enjoyed weightlifting and was even selected as the academy’s most disciplined athlete.
In January 2012, he was discovered by Army Sports Institute athletes (ASI). With their support, he quickly joined the Boys Sports Company at the ASI in Pune and began weightlifting-specific training.
“I still box in the ring and love it, but after observing the passions of my buddies, I picked weightlifting,” he told PTI.
His family struggled to pay for Lalrinnunga’s training, but they pooled their resources and sought assistance from those in the community.
Everyone who knew the athlete, according to his neighbor K Jwala, had high hopes for him.
Lalrinnunga won silver in the 2016 World Youth Championships in the 56-kilogram division. He won the gold medal at the 2017 Commonwealth Junior Championship.
His greatest victory came in 2018 when he won gold at the Argentina 2018 Youth Olympic Games. It was a first for an Indian athlete, but his family in Aizawl was unable to witness the occasion due to internet outages.
This Sunday, though, the entire family watched the adolescent make history in Birmingham via live television.
God has compassion for our family, and I pray that Jeremy’s condition will improve in the following days.
Lalrinnunga’s medals are displayed with pride by his family in his bedroom at home. His mother claims that, like many boys his age, he enjoys traveling and adores the chicken curry she prepares.
After his victory in Birmingham, the kid will now prepare for the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
A knee ailment prevented him from qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games last year.
The teenage athlete intends to move up to the 73 kg weight class for the 2024 Olympic Games.
“I now see that it is on another level. I have a great deal to improve, and gaining weight is the most challenging aspect. If all goes well and I avoid injury, I should be in Paris for the Olympics “he remarked.
