The Hindu : Sport : Geeta, Simple make it 1-2 for India

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Mar 23, 2006

Sport

Sport

Geeta, Simple make it 1-2 for India

The finale was full of thrills and spills

Melbourne: Geeta Rani and Simple Kaur Bhumrah bagged a gold and silver respectively in the above 75kg category, as the Indian campaign in the women's weightlifting competition of the Commonwealth Games ended on a resounding note here on Wednesday.

The difference between gold and silver was just one kilo with Geeta lifting 241kg and Simple 240. India bagged nine medals — three gold, five silver and one bronze — in the competition and it was the women lifters who won all the gold medals. Kunjarani Devi had begun the golden journey for India and it was left to the 25-year-old Geeta to finish it off in style.

Cautious start

Geeta, winner of three bronze medals in this category in the Asian championship in Dubai last year, started cautiously by opting for 95kg in snatch.

However, compatriot and 21-year-old Simple went for 100 in her opening lift to set the ball rolling for an absorbing tussle between the two Indians.

Caution continued to be the watchword for Geeta and she increased the weight to 100, while Simple raised it to 101.

The Punjab girl Geeta then went for 104 and Simple, who hails from Chhattisgarh, opted for 105. Both managed it successfully.

Lagging behind

The other nine lifters in the fray were way behind and at the end of the snatch event, it was evident that gold and silver would be India's. Dean Keisha Soffe of New Zealand was the closest competitor, managing 100kg in snatch.

There was more drama in clean and jerk, as Geeta chose to lift 123kg and Simple surprisingly asked the weight to be raised to 128.

She failed in her first attempt at his weight, but cleared it on her second visit.

On the other hand, Geeta went for 130 in her second attempt and lifted it with ease. She finally managed 137 to take her overall total to 241 (104+137) and Simple, with a last lift of 135, aggregated 240 (105+135).

Soffe won the bronze with 214 (100+114).

``I am very thrilled. It was my dream to win a gold in the Games and I am so pleased to have achieved that. Simple (Bhumrah) gave a tough fight. It was great to see two Indians fighting it out for top honours in an international competition,'' Geeta said.

Simple, on her part, praised Geeta. ``She is my senior and did a good job to win the gold. I think missing the first lift in clean and jerk cost me the gold, but I am happy that it has been won by a friend and fellow Indian.'' — UNI

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