Samoan superwoman wins weightlifting gold

Published October 11, 2010

NEW DELHI, Oct 10 Samoa's Ele Opeloge won the Commonwealth Games women's +75kg super-heavyweight weightlifting title on Sunday, giving the Pacific island a second gold in two days.

The 25-year-old's victory, secured by a huge 30kg margin, could also be the first of a family double as her brothers Niusila and Tovia both compete in the men's 105kg competition later Sunday.

Opeloge's win followed countryman's Faavae Faauliuli's triumph in the men's 94kg division on Saturday which was Samoa's first ever Commonwealth Games gold medal.

Opeloge was the favourite going into Sunday's event having held the Commonwealth record as well as winning the Oceania Championships this year.

She lifted a Games record 125kg in the snatch and then another Games best of 160kg in the clean and jerk for a winning total of 285kg.

“I think my family support helped, I think my family is very happy, especially my mother and father, my brothers and sisters, my country,” said Opeloge.

Now she is targetting the 2012 Olympics, but is aware of the huge difference in class she will face as the current world record is 326kg held by South Korea's Jang Mi-Ran.

“I will go back now and I will train hard. I want some Olympic medals, but I don't want to say what yet, it's too early.”

Nigeria's Maryam Usman took silver with a 255kg total while Australia's Deborah Acason claimed bronze on 245kg.

India's defending champion Geeta Rani was fourth on 235, six kilos less than her gold medal winning lift in Melbourne in 2006.—AFP