Kota Kinabalu: Sabahan weightlifter Irene Jane Henry’s bronze medal-winning performance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has been hailed as a landmark achievement that is expected to inspire a new generation of athletes across the state.
Competing in the women’s 48kg category at the SEC Armadillo on Sunday, the 21-year-old from Tambunan produced a total lift of 167kg after registering 77kg in the snatch and 90kg in the clean and jerk.
She finished behind India’s Olympic silver medallist Mirabai Chanu Saikhom, who claimed gold with a total of 190kg, while Nigeria’s Ruth Asuquo Nyong edged Irene for silver with a combined lift of 168kg.
Irene also rewrote the national record in the snatch with her 77kg lift, surpassing her previous mark of 75kg set at the SEA Games in Thailand last year.
Her podium finish ended a 14-year wait for Malaysia’s next women’s weightlifting medal at the Commonwealth Games since Raihan Yusoff won bronze in 2010. It also marked the first Commonwealth Games weightlifting medal by a Sabahan since Arrico Jumiti captured gold in the same year.
Sabah Weightlifting Association president Philip Gisan described Irene’s achievement on her Commonwealth Games debut as a proud moment for both the state and the nation’s weightlifting fraternity.
“Congratulations to Irene on her success. She has truly put Sabah on the map in the world of weightlifting.
“I am confident that her achievement, earned through years of hard work and dedication, will inspire many aspiring athletes in Sabah to pursue their dreams and strive for excellence.
“Her success also reflects the depth of talent that Sabah possesses, and it gives us every reason to be optimistic about the future of weightlifting in the state,” he said.
Irene is currently training under national coach Edmund Yeo at the national training centre in Bukit Jalil.
Her journey to the elite level began in her hometown of Tambunan, where she was first identified and coached by Stephen Gampion before continuing her development at the Sabah Sports School in Sepanggar under former Commonwealth Games gold medallist Arrico Jumiti.
Despite celebrating a historic bronze medal, Irene admitted her Commonwealth Games debut was a bittersweet experience after narrowly missing out on the silver medal by just one kilogramme.
The Sabahan finished with a total lift of 167kg, only one kilogramme behind Nyong’s silver medal-winning effort of 168kg.
“Losing by one kg really hurts, but I’ve done my best. I can’t ask for an extra lift as there are only three tries, so I can only accept the result.
“Backstage, I was really nervous and scared. But I wanted to fight and at least secure a medal,” she said after the competition at the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) Armadillo.
The bronze medal also carried special significance for Irene as she achieved the personal target she had set herself before making her Commonwealth Games debut.
“Even though it’s not a silver medal, I’m grateful to win a bronze medal for Malaysia. To my family and fans in Malaysia, especially in Sabah, thank you for your support and prayers,” she said.
During the competition, Irene displayed remarkable consistency in the snatch, successfully completing all three attempts at 72kg, 75kg and 77kg.
She stumbled in her opening clean and jerk attempt at 90kg when the lift was ruled unsuccessful, and her subsequent appeal against the decision was rejected.
However, she successfully lifted the same weight on her second attempt to remain in medal contention.
Needing 93kg on her final clean and jerk attempt to finish with a total of 170kg and overtake Nyong for the silver medal, Irene was unable to complete the lift.
“I think maybe it just wasn’t my day as I have lifted 93kg many times before. Maybe the condition of my body today wasn’t that great,” she said, admitting it was difficult to accept the outcome after repeatedly achieving the weight during training.
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