Vikas finishes 7th as Indian lifters' dismal show continues

Indian weightlifters' dismal campaign at the 17th Asian Games continued as Vikas Thakur finished a disappointing seventh in the men's 85kg category, here today.
Even though Vikas topped Group B with a total lift 327kg -- best efforts of 148kg in snatch and 179kg in clean and jerk -- it was not enough to fetch him a medal at the Moonlight Gardens Arena.
China's Tian Tao set the Games record en route to his gold medal effort with a total lift of 381kg -- 163kg snatch and 218kg in clean and jerk.
Olympic gold medallist Kianoush Rostami of Iran bagged the silver with an effort of 380kg (172kg in snatch and 208 in clean and jerk), while Ulugbek Alimov of Uzbekistan took home the bronze with a total lift of 369kg (164 in snatch and 205 in clean and jerk).

After their impressive showing at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games, where they bagged a rich haul of 12 medals, much was expected from the Indian lifters at the Asian Games but they are yet to live upto the expectations here.