Commonwealth Games: Lovepreet bags fighting silver in weightlifting, Liti wins gold

Lovepreet Singh competes in the men's +110kg weightlifting final at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, on July 30, 2026. | Photo Credit: AP Known as the “big men” of weightlifting, the competitors in the men’s +110kg super-heavyweight category delivered a truly memorable contest, with the event turning into a red-letter day for India as Lovepreet Singh clinched a truly fighting silver medal at the Commonwealth Games at the Scottish Event Campus here on Thursday (july 30, 2026).The 28-year-old Indian, who had won bronze in the 109kg category at the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, produced a sensational performance on the day, dominating the snatch section. He cleared all three attempts—168kg, 173kg and 176kg — with the final lift setting a new Games record.With his best clean and jerk at 212kg, Lovepreet finished with a total of 388kg. New Zealand’s David Andrew Liti produced a total lift of 389kg with a 166kg in snatch and a 223kg in clean and jerk, creating a new Games record.The contest took a dramatic turn when pre-event favourite Sanele Mao of Samoa failed in all three attempts at 175kg in the snatch, eliminating him from the competition. That opened the door for Lovepreet, who immediately grabbed the opportunity by lifting 176kg and establishing himself as the leader.At the end of the snatch rounds, Lovepreet held a commanding 10kg lead over Liti, putting the former firmly in the driver’s seat for the gold medal.But it wasn’t easy in the clean and jerk as it emerged as a keenly-fought contest. Liti turned the clean and jerk on its head with a performance that was at once outstanding and breathtaking. After Lovepreet cleared the second attempt at 212kg and after having failed to clear 217kg, the 30-year-old Kiwi responded with a 223kg in his second to create a new Games record before deciding not to go for the third.Still, it was an excellent performance by Lovepreet, who had improved from his bronze in the 2018 edition. The Indian fought till the end to provide a fitting and deserving end to the weightlifting competiton. Published - July 31, 2026 01:48 am IST