Weight lifters William Lang-ford, June Bell and Julian McWatt all placed eight in their respective divisions of the 2002 Commonwealth Games currently underway in Manchester, England. Sean Cozier, another Guyanese, finished 10th.
According to reports, Langford who contested the 77Kgs division, snatched 117.5Kgs and clean and jerked 142.5Kgs for a total 260Kgs in placing eight of 14 lifters, while Belle snatched 57.5Kgs and clean and jerked 70Kgs, totaling 135Kgs. She contested the 63Kgs division with nine other women.
McWatt snatched 130Kgs and Clean and Jerked 152.5Kgs in placing eight in the 85Kgs division. Cozier on the other hand snatched 125Kgs and clean and jerked 145Kgs for his 10th place in the 85Kgs also.
Guyana’s chances of winning another 2002 Commonwealth Games medal lies with weight lifter Shondell King who is down to compete in the 69Kgs division today.
The men’s 77Kgs division was won by India’s Satheesha Rai (317.5Kgs) while Dave Morgan of Wales placed second (305Kgs) and Nauru’s, Renus Doweiya was third with 290Kgs. This is Morgan’s sixth Commonwealth Games.
India won the gold and silver medals in the women’s 63Kgs division through Pratima Kumuri and Prasmita Mangaraj respectively. The bronze went to Pascale Dorcdus of Canada.
Kumuri snatched 87.5Kgs and clean and jerked 117.5 Kgs for a total 205Kgs, while Mangaraj snatched 85Kgs and clean and jerked 110.5 Kgs, totaling 195Kgs.
In winning the bronze medal, Dorcdus snatched 87Kgs and clean and jerked 97.5Kgs, for a total of 185Kgs.