WEIGHTLIFTING: Australian super-heavyweight Damon Kelly has won gold at the 2016 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in Penang, with Australia also picking up another silver medal through Kaitlyn Fassina on the final day of competition.

The two-time Olympian and 2010 Commonwealth Games gold medallist was sitting second after the snatch section, but when his main rival, Samoa’s Lauititi Lui, missed all his lifts in the clean and jerk, the gold medal was Kelly’s.

It’s Kelly’s second Commonwealth Championship title, after he won gold in 2012. He finished Saturday’s competition with 163kg in the snatch and 210 in the clean and jerk, for a total of 373kg.

New Zealand’s David Liti and Pakistan’s Muhammad Butt both finished on 369kg.

Fassina broke through for her first medal at a major competition with a perfect six lifts, finishing the +75kg division with a total of 229kg to finish with the silver medal.

Samoa’s Iuniarra Sipaia was a convincing winner of the gold medal, lifting a total of 243kg.

Australia can look forward to the 2018 Commonwealth Games with confidence, after finishing this week’s championships with two gold, four silver and two bronze medals.The 2017 Commonwealth Championships will be contested on the Gold Coast.

Ross Solly
Weightlifting Australia