Feagaiga Stowers secures Samoa’s second gold medal

09 April 2018, 12:00AM

Samoa’s Feagaiga Stowers capitalised on transgender athlete Laurel Hubbard’s withdrawal from the women’s over 90 kilograms weightlifting event to claim victory at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

Stowers trailed leader Hubbard by 7kg after the snatch, but she went onto claim gold after her New Zealand rival pulled out of the competition with an injured elbow.

Hubbard, the first transgender athlete to compete at the Commonwealth Games, was expected to win the event easily.

She withdrew after hurting her arm on her final snatch, which saw her miss her attempt at a Commonwealth record of 132kg and twist her elbow as she dropped the bar behind her.

Hubbard left the platform in pain and received treatment in the 10-minute break prior to the clean and jerk round.

Stowers, 17, went onto manage 140kg in the clean and jerk, giving her a total of 253kg.

Nauru’s Charisma Amoe-Tarrant finished second with a total of 243kg, securing her country’s first medal of Gold Coast 2018

Her final clean and jerk lift at 142kg took her above England’s Emily Campbell, who finished third with 242kg.

Stowers’ victory secured Samoa’s second gold medal of the Games.

The first came as Sanele Mao won the men’s 105kg event.

The 32-year-old recorded a total of 360kg to beat nearest challenger Pardeep Singh of India by a eight kilograms, despite him failing with his last clean and jerk attempt at 211kg.

Mao managed 154kg in the snatch and 206kg in the clean and jerk.

“I’m so happy to win a gold medal - the first gold for my team and my country,” Mao said.

“We had a fight, it was tough.

“I fought for me, for my country, and for my gold medal.”

Singh had the opportunity to clinch the gold medal with his last clean and jerk attempt but failed at 211kg.

He also failed with his second clean and jerk attempt at 209kg, which would also have been enough for victory.

Singh finished with a total of 352kg, comprising 152kg in the snatch and 200kg in the clean and jerk.

Rounding out the podium was England’s Owen Boxall with a total of 351kg.

He managed 152kg in the snatch and 199kg in the clean and jerk.

Kiribati’s defending champion David Katoatau, known as “The Dancing Weightlifter” for his funky moves after successful lifts, finished fifth with a total of 340kg.

Ghana’s Richmond Osarfo ranked fourth with 350kg.

Eileen Cikamatana came out on top in the women’s 90kg event, which was held at the same time as the women’s over 90kg, to secure Fiji’s first gold medal of Gold Coast 2018.

The 18-year-old prevailed with a total of 233kg, comprising 103kg in the snatch and 130kg in the clean and jerk.

Home favourite Kaity Fassina won the silver medal with 232kg.

Her total was made up of 104kg in the snatch and 128kg in the clean and jerk.

Cameroon’s Clementine Meukeugni Noumbissi came third with 226kg to secure her country’s first medal of the Games.

She managed 101kg in the snatch before posting 125kg in the clean and jerk.

09 April 2018, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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