File photo of Kasthuri Rajamani.© X (Twitter)
India’s Kasthuri Rajamani equalled her personal best lift but failed to make an impact, finishing eighth among nine competitors in the women’s 67kg powerlifting event at the Paralympic Games in Paris on Friday. The 40-year-old from Tamil Nadu lifted 106kg in her second attempt after failing in the first and again faltered in her third and final bid to heave 110kg. Kasthuri, who had finished fifth at the Hangzhou Para Games in 2023, had taken up powerlifting at the insistence of a para shooter friend and had won gold at the Khelo India Para Games last year in the 67kg category.
The 33-year-old Yujiao Tan, China’s two-time Paralympics champion and winner of four world championship gold medals besides a top-podium finish at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year, made it a hat-trick of titles at the global showpiece in style, smashing the world and Paralympic record with a heave of 142kg.
Egypt’s Fatma Elyan clinched silver with a best lift of 139kg, while Brazil’s Fatima de Maria heaved 133kg for the bronze medal.
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