With 50 percent of construction completed, the Olympic and Paralympic Village for Rio 2016 is starting to take shape. (Photo courtesy of Cidade Olimpica)Jakarta. Indonesia’s weight-lifters have been competing on a regular basis in the Olympic Games and that looks set to continue in the 2016 Rio Games.
Olympic multi-medalist Eko Yuli Irawan already has a foot in Rio de Janeiro after finishing second in the men’s 62-kilogram category at the 2014 World Weight-Lifting Championship in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on Sunday. The competition served as an Olympic qualifying event.
Eko recorded a total lift of 316 kg to take home the silver medal, while also placing second in the clean-and-jerk lift with a total of 175 kg.
His teammate, Muhammad Hasbi, finished fifth overall in the same weight category after lifting total of 301 kg. He also secured the bronze medal in the clean-and-jerk with 171 kg.
North Korean and defending Olympic champion Kim Un-guk topped the standing with a total lift of 325 kg to secure first place, setting a record for the heaviest weight lifted in World Championship history. The 26-year-old lifted 2.5 kg more than the previous world record set by Halil Mutlu of Turkey in 2003.
China’s Ding Jianjun finished third overall with a total lift of 312 kg.
Eko and Hasbi collected 25 and 21 points respectively, the most among their teammates, putting them in the hunt for a ticket to the Rio games.
“I was not focusing on medals at this event. My goal was to collect as many points as I could. But the chance [for a medal] was there. So, why not go for it?” Eko told the Jakarta Globe.
Meanwhile, compatriot Surahmat competed in the men’s 56-kg to finish 13th with a total lift of 259 kg, earning him 13 points.
In the women’s competition, Asian Games silver medalist Sri Wahyuni Agustiani finished fourth after lifting a total of 183 kg in women’s 48-kg.
Despite missing the podium in the overall category, she took home the bronze medal after finishing third in the clean-and-jerk with a 106-kg lift.
Tan Yayun of China came out on top with a total lift of 194 kg, followed by Turkey’s Sibel Ozkan Konak and Panida Khamsri of Thailand in second and third place respectively. Both lifted a total of 189 kg.
Hadi Wihardja, an official at Prima, the program preparing athletes for top-tier competitions, expressed satisfaction with the weight-lifters, especially those who competed at the Asian Games last month.
“[These lifters] are still on track for our ultimate goal of earning a place in the Rio Olympics,” Hadi said.
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