Sopita seizes the moment to score a triple whammy
Sopita Tanasan was given a heaven-sent opportunity at the weightlifting world championships in the US … and took it with both hands.
The 48kg class champion at last year’s Rio Olympics stepped up to 53kg and was equally dominant in Anaheim, winning three gold medals, in the snatch, clean and jerk and overall categories.
Thailand’s other Olympic champion, Sukunya Srisurat, also struck gold as the Kingdom confirmed its status as one of the sport’s leading lights.
Sopita took her first gold with a 96kg lift in the snatch, her second with her 114kg effort in the clean and jerk and her third for her total of 210kg.
In reality, it was a cruise for the 22-year-old from Chumporn after the heavy favourite and 53kg Olympic champion, Hsu Shu-ching of Taiwan, picked up an elbow injury during her third attempt in the snatch.
Hsu’s lift of 93kg was enough to give her the silver but she was forced to retire from the clean and jerk competition.
Sopita was in tears after the medal presentation.
“I’ve been really determined to perform well here as it’s a major event after the Olympics. I really worked hard and cried during the practice. But today I cried happy tears,” said Sopita whose next target is to defend her Olympic crown at Tokyo 2020.
Sukunya took gold in the 58kg category snatch; she actually lifted the same weight, 105kg, as Kuo Hsing-chun of Taiwan but was awarded the gold medal courtesy of her lighter body weight, 56.42kg to her rival’s 57.60kg.
However Kuo came back strong in the clean and jerk, lifting 135kg to win both that category and the overall title with a combined weight of 240kg. Sukunya could only manage sixth in the clean and jerk with a lift of 120kg but her combined lifts of 225kg were enouigh to win the overall silver.
Thailand have now won five gold medals, following Thunya Sukcharoen’s victory in the women’s 48kg snatch the day before.
