Rizki Juniansyah claims 73kg weightlifting gold for Indonesia
Jakarta, Aug 9 (ANTARA) - Rizki Juniansyah of Indonesia dominated the men's 73kg weightlifting competition at the Paris 2024 Olympics on Thursday, claiming the gold medal with a total lift of 354kg.
Capitalizing on errors by other medal contenders, he secured the victory by a substantial margin of 8kg over silver medalist Weeraphon Wichuma of Thailand, who lifted 346kg at the South Paris Arena.
"I am happy, proud, and very emotional winning this, my first gold medal and creating history,” Juniansyah told Olympics.com.
“Thank you to all the Indonesians for their support, to those who are watching at home," he stated.
"There are no words that can describe how I am feeling. You saw me crying because it has been such an emotional and beautiful experience, and I am already looking towards the future," he remarked.
Juniansyah began the snatch segment with a lift of 155kg, placing him 10kg behind Shi Zhiyong of China and 1kg behind Julio Mayora Pernia of Venezuela.
However, a dramatic turn of events unfolded in the clean-and-jerk, as both Shi and Mayora Pernia failed to register valid lifts, eliminating them from medal contention.
With his primary rivals out of the picture, Juniansyah needed only a solid clean-and-jerk to secure gold.
He successfully lifted 191kg in his first attempt and maintained his lead as other competitors challenged him.
Turkey's Muhammed Ozbek and Thailand's Wichuma managed to match his snatch weight, but Juniansyah held a comfortable advantage.
Wichuma then set a new benchmark by lifting 198kg, surpassing his own junior world record of 195kg.
The pressure was on Juniansyah for his second attempt, but he responded with an electrifying lift of 199kg, setting a new Olympic record for the men's 73kg clean-and-jerk and securing the gold medal.
"I am young, but age does not matter," Juniansyah stated.
"Training is crucial. Some excel in training but falter under pressure, while others may struggle in training but shine when it counts," he emphasized.
Wichuma, though disappointed with missing out on gold, was thrilled with his silver medal.
"I was not expecting a medal today, but I am aiming for one in Los Angeles," the 19-year-old stated.
"I'm very proud of myself," he affirmed.
Bulgaria's Bozhidar Dimitrov Andreev benefited from Shi and Mayora Pernia's mistakes, securing the bronze medal with a total lift of 344kg (154kg snatch, 190kg clean-and-jerk).
With this achievement, Indonesia now has two gold medals and one bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Sport climber Veddriq Leonardo secured the first gold medal for Indonesia in the men's speed event, while Gregoria Mariska Tunjung won bronze in women's singles badminton.
