Who is Jeremy Lalrinnunga? India's 19-year-old weightlifter who won gold at CWG 2022

Jeremy Lalrinnunga on Sunday scripted history as he brought India its second gold medal at the ongoing Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. The 19-year-old won the top prize in the Men's 67kg event after lifting a combined weight of 300kg (140kg in snatch, 160kg in clean & jerk). The weightlifter's 140kg lift in the snatch category also saw him set a new Commonwealth Games 2022 record. 

Jeremy started the event by lifting 136kg in his first snatch attempt. He lifted 140kg in his second snatch attempt to create the Commonwealth Games 2022 record. Though Jeremy's third snatch attempt of 143kg resulted in a foul, his 140kg effort was enough to catapult him to the top of the leaderboard. 

Jeremy lifted 154kg in his first clean & jerk attempt. He improved his result by lifting 160kg in his second attempt, which eventually became his final legal lift since he fouled in his third C&J attempt. The youngster also injured himself during his third C&J attempt. However, he recovered well to receive his gold medal on the podium a few minutes later. He was seen saluting the national flag as India's national anthem played in the background during the medal presentation ceremony.   

Jeremy's closest competitor Vaipava Loane, a Samoan weightlifter, won the silver medal as he lifted a combined weight of 293kg (127kg in snatch, 166kg in clean & jerk). Nigeria's Edidiong Umoafia won the bronze medal as he lifted a total weight of 290kg (130kg in snatch, 160kg in clean & jerk). 

Who is Jeremy Lalrinnunga?

Jeremy Lalrinnunga was born on October 26, 2002 in Aizawl, Mizoram. The 19-year-old first shot to fame after he won a gold medal in the Boys' 62kg category weightlifting event in the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He had lifted a combined weight of 274kg in the event (124kg in snatch, 150kg in clean & jerk). 

Jeremy won another gold medal at the Commonwealth Championships in Tashkent last year where he won in the Men's 67kg category. On Saturday, when Jeremy won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games 2022, he set a CWG record with his 140kg lift in the snatch round of the Men's 67kg event.