PARIS, Aug 8 — Mohamad Aniq Kasdan missed out on becoming Malaysia’s first weightlifting medallist at the Paris 2024 Olympics by a mere kilogramme.
The 22-year-old lifter from Segamat had to settle for fourth place in the men’s 61kg category with a new national record total lift of 297kg at South Paris Arena 6 yesterday.
Mohamad Aniq began his snatch attempts with 126kg on his first try, failed his second attempt at 130kg, but successfully lifted 130kg on his third attempt to break the national record of 129kg previously held by Muhamad Aznil Bidin.
This placed him in fourth position, while defending champion Li Fabin from China set a new Olympic record with a 143kg snatch, surpassing the Olympic standard by 1kg to take the top spot.
Mohamad Aniq previously marked the national record for clean & jerk at 170kg and an overall lift of 296 kg.
Speaking to Bernama, Mohamad Aniq said he attempted to secure a medal with a 174kg lift in his second and third clean & jerk attempts but was unsuccessful.
“I tried to lift more than I have ever done before (172kg in training) but didn’t succeed. If I had managed the 174kg lift, I could have won a silver medal and set a new national record (for clean & jerk).
“I have to return with disappointment, but at the same time, I gained new experience. I am satisfied with my snatch lifts because I overcame my fear to set a new record, but the clean & jerk didn’t work out,” he said.
Mohamad Aniq, who will compete in the 2024 Commonwealth Championships in Fiji from September 17 to 24, vowed to continue performing well to bring home medals in future competitions.
— Bernama
