Phnom Penh, Cambodia (ANTARA) - Weightlifter Eko Yuli Irawan managed to break his personal record to win the men's 61kg final at the 2023 SEA Games Cambodia on Saturday. Irawan's previous record at the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines was 169kg in the clean and jerk category, and on Saturday in Cambodia, he beat it with a lift of 170 kg.
He bested John Febuar Mangurohan Ceniza from the Philippines and Teraapat Chomchuen from Thailand to claim the gold. The Lampung athlete, who bagged four medals in four Olympics, failed to do two lifts in the snatch category and was only able to lift 133kg on the first attempt.
Meanwhile, in the clean and jerk, he set a new record of 170kg, which drew rousing cheers. He beat Ceniza and Chomchuen who lifted 169kg and 165kg, respectively. "The gamble was that if I did not hit (170kg), then I would get bronze. Whatever the risk was, I took it," Irawan said after the medal ceremony. With his achievement on Saturday, he has collected six golds at the SEA Games in total and strengthened his dominance in Southeast Asian weightlifting.
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He said he did feel under pressure on account of his previous gold hauls. However, with a positive frame of mind, he tried to rise for the sake of the nation and country. "There was a burden too, because, previously, I achieved gold, gold, and gold. I wanted to prove it again," he remarked.
Meanwhile, at the 2023 SEA Games, other Indonesian weightlifters, Muhammad Husni (men's 55kg) and Luluk Diana Triwijayana (women's 49kg), contributed one gold and two bronzes to the Red and White squad, respectively.
