Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship |14 October 2015

Malvina bags gold

It has been a fantastic 2015 season for female weightlifter Ruby Malvina and she closed it in style with the 58kg category gold medal at the 2015 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship.

After coming out of the shadows of both Janet Georges and Clementina Agricole at the 11th All-Africa Games in Congo Brazzaville where she was the only female gold medallist on the weightlifting team, Malvina brought her lucky charm with her to Pune, India for the 2015 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship.

And she did not disappoint as she finished with a total lift of 179kg (85kg in snatch and 112kg in clean & jerk) to win the gold medal in the 58kg class.

Only one gold medal is awarded to the athlete with the best total lift at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship.

Six lifters took part in the competition and the silver medal was won by Wini Jenlyn Teju of the Solomon Islands with a total lift of 194kg (84kg in snatch and 110kg in clean & jerk). Indian Minati Sethi, who also finished with the same total lift, had to settle for the bronze medal as her body weight is higher than that of Teju’s.

Malvina is the second Seychellois to win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championship after Clementina achieved the feat in Malaysia in 2009.

Inside the Penang International Sports Arena, Agricole won the women’s senior 53kg category gold medal with an Olympic total of 177kg (77kg in snatch and 100kg in clean & jerk).

Meanwhile, Seychelles’ other competitor at the championship, Rick Confiance, could only finish sixth in the men’s 62kg category with a total lift of 235kg (108kg in snatch and 127kg in clean & jerk).

The gold medallist was Indian Deepak Lather with a total lift of 261kg (120kg in snatch and 141kg in clean & jerk), Malaysian Muhammad Azril won the silver medal with 257kg (111kg in snatch and 146kg in clean & jerk) and Sri Lankan Palangasingha D. K. T. W. K. took the bronze with a total lift of 254kg (113kg in snatch and 141kg in clean & jerk).

Accompanied by coach McDonald Henriette and head of delegation Justin Ernest, the two athletes are expected home tomorrow afternoon.

G. G.