On the first day of the 2024 IWF World Cup in Phuket, Thailand, Sri Lanka’s Hansani Gomes made her mark by setting a new national record in women’s weightlifting. Gomes, who represents the Sri Lanka Air Force, competed in the 49kg category and lifted 76kg in the Snatch event, securing third place in Pool ‘C’ among eight athletes.
This achievement surpasses Gomes’ previous national record of 75kg set in last year’s IWF World Cup in Riyad. Although she expressed disappointment for not reaching her practice performance of 80kg in Snatch and 93kg in Clean and Jerk, Gomes was glad to renew the Sri Lankan record. During the competition, Gomes also excelled in Clean and Jerk with 85kg. In total, she lifted 161kg, displaying her strength among world-class weightlifters. Her performance in Riyad last year, where she lifted 164kg, contributes to Olympic qualifying standards.
While Gomes’ Clean and Jerk lift fell short of her personal best of 89kg from the previous edition in Riyad, she remains optimistic about her performance.
Sri Lanka’s Isuru Kumara is set to compete in the 55kg weight class today (Monday), with Indika Dissanayake scheduled to compete on April 3. Despite the Sri Lankan team’s arrival on April 6, the tournament will continue until April 11.
Sajeewa Jayakody
